NYC's tourism organisation picks SEA representative

NYC & Company, the destination marketing organisation and convention of visitors bureau for New York City's five boroughs has appointed tourism marketing agency BRANDSTORY as its Southeast Asia representative. Led by GM Reene Ho-Phang, the agency will be responsible for travel trade, marketing and public relations efforts in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. This comes as New York City is expected to recover 85% of its record 2019 visitation levels this year.

NYC & Company will be supported by BRANDSTORY team members across Southeast Asia, drawing on the agency’s 20 years of experience, having represented destination clients including Brand USA, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Brisbane, Iceland, Jerusalem, Azerbaijan, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, among others.

Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company, said it looks forward to working with Ho-Phang and her team, tapping into their expertise working with destinations across the US and beyond to reestablish NYC's position as the leading travel destination in Southeast Asia. According to Dixon, the team wants to triple international visitation by year's end and it is pleased to resume its activities in Southeast Asia hand-in-hand with BRANDSTORY.

Meanwhile, Ho-Phang said more than just being an aspirational urban destination, New York City offers diversity, inclusiveness, sustainable travel, and practically everything today's traveller wants. "And being the first US destination to return to Southeast Asia, it's definitely time for New York City," she added, making reference to the city's tourism marketing campaign. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to BRANDSTORY for additional information.

Last year, NYC & Company unveiled "It's Time for New York City", what it touts to be the largest-ever global tourism marketing campaign costing US$30 million. It first targeted travellers in 23 markets across the US, followed by Mexico, Canada, and Latin America.

The campaign ran on LinkNYC screens and bus shelters across New York City's five boroughs, through NYC & Company's collaboration with Intersection and JCDecaux, which will also extend across the globe, valued at nearly US$25 million.

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