Chris Thompson will retire this summer after 12 years as CEO of Brand USA, the public-private organization that launched in 2010 to promote tourism to the U.S. Under Thompson, international visitation to the U.S. increased from 67 million in 2012 to 79 million in 2019. News editor Johanna Jainchill spoke to him about his tenure and what's next for him and the organization.
Chris Thompson
Q: You said that when you retire, you want to pursue "life beyond work." What will that look like for you?
A: The top of my list are my two granddaughters. I want to learn how to fly an airplane, obviously traveling and more or less waking up to every day being a Saturday and seeing what the new version of Saturday looks like. I love to read, but I'm always so tired at night because I go so hard. So nothing bigger than learning how to fly a plane and nothing smaller than reading a book.
Q: Inbound travel grew significantly from 2012 until the pandemic. How did Brand USA contribute to that?
A: The U.S. has always been one of the most aspirational destinations in the world. Once we had a chance to umbrella the diversity of geography, experiences and people delivering those experiences, we really gained momentum and enjoyed a great run. When they brought us into existence, there was a commitment at the government level with our first National Travel & Tourism Strategy. We had a visitation goal we were all chasing. For the first time, the private and public sector aligned, and we were the glue to help nurture and foster that.
A concern was we would only benefit the most well-resourced, most sophisticated destinations. In reality, the biggest value proposition we bring is to those beyond the gateways. I think that was our biggest contribution: focusing on the entirety of the diversity that the U.S. has to offer. The thing I'm most proud of is our relationship with the federal government. When I got here, it was less than favorable with the first crew leading the organization. I can't imagine the relationship being any better than it is today.
Q: Which of the three administrations you worked under was most supportive?
A: I walked up to President Obama in 2014, and he said, "I just want to say how amazing a job you guys are doing. What you guys have done to help unify the travel and tourism industry and the partnerships we have has been exemplary." I said, "Mr. President, in the absence of your support in signing us into existence two years ago, it would never have happened." There was probably the greatest recognition under Obama because he shepherded it in. Travel and tourism contributes a huge part of exports for the economy, but it's under the radar most of the time because there's lots going on in any four-year period for any administration.
The most important, significant support we've had is at the congressional level. And that is the most critical because, in the end, a president will recommend a budget, but Congress has to pass it. We were reauthorized by Congress twice. When Covid hit, our borders closed, compromising our funding source [inbound, international travel fees]. Congress said, "Tell us what you need to help us get back to what we were enjoying prepandemic.' We made an extraordinary request and got an extraordinary response: Congress gave us $250 million. ... Within the rank and file across all of the federal government, there's never been, in my opinion, a greater appreciation for what travel and tourism brings.
Q: Any advice for NYC Tourism + Conventions CEO Fred Dixon, your successor?
A: I would just say to keep finding ways to remind people why they love the U.S. The state of Brand USA is great, with the largest amount of resource ever in market. I'm going to put it in a box with a ribbon around it, hand it to Fred and say, "Take care of my baby." And I have all the confidence in the world that he's gonna do a great job.