[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 110 (Friday, June 7, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34344-34346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13489]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
Travel and Tourism Trade Mission to Taiwan, Japan and Korea
AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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Mission Description
The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade
Administration, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, is organizing a
Trade Mission to Taiwan, Japan, and Korea March 10 -14, 2014. The
purpose of the mission is to help U.S. firms in the travel and tourism
industry find business partners and sell services in Taipei, Taiwan;
Seoul, Korea; and Tokyo, Japan. The targeted sector for participation
in this mission is travel and tourism, including U.S.-based travel and
tourism suppliers, destination marketing organizations (i.e.,
convention and visitors bureaus), travel promotion organizations and
other travel and tourism entities promoting and selling travel to the
United States including trade associations.
Commercial Setting
Taiwan
Each year, roughly 41% of Taiwan's 23 million people travel abroad
and an estimated 300,000 traveled to the United States in 2012. The
forecast is that nearly 400,000 visitors from Taiwan (a 25% increase)
will travel to the United States annually by 2015 as a result of
Taiwan's entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program on November 1, 2012.
Taiwan is the only economy to receive visa-free status in the last
three years, and it is an exciting time to promote U.S. travel
destinations given the pent-up demand for travel to the United States
from Taiwan.
On average, a Taiwan visitor to the United States spends about
$4,000 per trip. This number translates to over $1.1 billion yearly in
travel and tourism spending by Taiwan outbound travelers to the United
States. Taiwanese enjoy shopping, dining out, sightseeing in cities,
experiencing amusement and theme parks, and visiting historic places.
For Taiwan nationals, outbound travel is both a vital part of doing
business in this trade-oriented economy and a trendy form of leisure
holidays. Taiwan's GDP per capita is one of the highest in Asia at
approximately $20,400, which means that an increasing share of the
population has the means to seek and enjoy leisure travel abroad. In
the capital city, Taipei, it rains about 180 days each year, and Taiwan
travelers are always searching for sunny and dry destinations for their
holiday adventures. Taiwan is also the sixth-largest source of
international students for the United States, many of whom have friends
and family visiting them regularly and enjoying U.S. destinations and
attractions.
The United States is among the top five destinations for Taiwan
outbound travelers, and is the top non-Asian and long-haul destination.
Despite its popularity with Taiwan outbound travelers, the United
States faces strong competition from other destinations that also don't
require a visa, such as Australia, China, Japan, Thailand and European
Union countries.
Korea
In 2012, over 13.7 million Koreans, roughly one fourth of the
population, traveled abroad and over one million traveled to the United
States. It is estimated that by 2014 nearly 1.5 million Koreans (a 23%
increase) will travel to the United States annually. On average, a
Korean visitor to the United States spends approximately $3,500 per
trip. This will translate to over $5 billion in tourism spending by
Korean outbound travelers to the United States in 2014.
Korea's remarkable economic growth over the past 30 years has
transformed the country, moving it from the ranks of developing nations
to exclusive membership among the world's most developed and richest
economies. In 2012 Korea enjoyed a 2.1% increase in GDP, which now
totals $1.14 trillion. Korea's per capita GDP in 1963 was just $100.
Today, it exceeds $32,400. Increased income has given Koreans the means
to seek and enjoy leisure travel abroad. Industry experts expect that
the number of outbound travelers will continue to increase for the next
five years and that demand for sophisticated and niche market travel,
such as for meetings, conventions and exhibitions; cruises and edu-
tourism will grow significantly.
The United States remains one of the top five destinations for both
Taiwan and Korean outbound travelers, and is the top non-Asian and
long-haul destination for both countries. Despite its popularity with
Taiwan and Korean outbound travelers, the United States faces strong
competition from aggressive marketing from other destinations that also
don't require a visa, such as Australia, China, Japan, Thailand and the
European Union.
Japan
Japan remains the world's third-largest economy, after the United
States and China, with a GDP of roughly $5.8 trillion. Japan is the
fourth largest export market for U.S. goods and services, and was our
fourth largest trading partner overall in 2012.
Japan is a major source of travel to the United States, providing
substantial economic benefits. An estimated 3.7 million Japanese
visited the United States in 2012, ranking Japan 4th in number of
travelers to the United States. Japan ranked second behind Canada,
however, in the amount of total spending by travelers in the United
States in 2012--close to $15 billion.
The number of Japanese outbound travelers in 2012 was 18.5 million,
an increase of 8.8 percent over the previous year. This is the highest
in Japanese history. As of November 2012, 3.4 million Japanese visitors
had traveled to the United States, a 14-percent increase over the same
period last year. CS Japan projects that Japan should finish 2012 at
around 3.7 million visitors to the United States. Projections for
United States destinations remain good in 2013 regardless of any
depreciation of the yen.
After more than two decades of stagnation, Japan's travel industry
is seen as growing. With the implementation of the Open Skies Agreement
and the introduction of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, new nonstop flights
have begun between Boston, Seattle, San Diego, San Jose, and Denver
with Tokyo. In addition, BrandUSA and the Japan Association of Travel
Agents successfully implemented a ``Japan-U.S. Tourism Exchange Year''
in 2012/13. As a result, the United States has enjoyed high visibility
in recent months, and now is an excellent time for the U.S. travel
industry to capitalize on that groundwork to actively promote their
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destinations and services in the Japanese market.
Other Products and Services
The foregoing analysis of travel and tourism opportunities in
Taiwan, Japan, and Korea is not intended to be exhaustive, but
illustrative of the many opportunities available to U.S. businesses.
Applications from companies selling products or services within the
scope of this mission, but not specifically identified, will be
considered and evaluated by the Department of Commerce. Companies whose
products or services do not fit the scope of the mission may contact
their local U.S. Export Assistance Center to learn about other business
development missions and services that may provide more targeted export
opportunities. Companies may call 1-800-872-8723, or go to http://help.export.gov/ to obtain such information. This information also may
be found on the Web site http://www.export.gov.
Mission Goals
The goal of this Trade Mission is to help U.S. destinations and
tourism suppliers, including receptive tour operators, to develop their
contacts and generate exports in Taiwan, Japan and Korea by providing
business-to-business introductions and market access information so
they can position themselves to enter or expand their presence in the
Taiwan, Japanese and Korean markets.
Mission Scenario
The Taiwan-Japan-Korea Travel and Tourism Trade Mission will visit
Taipei, Tokyo and Seoul, allowing participants to access the largest
markets and business centers in the three countries. In each city,
participants will meet with potential business contacts.
Proposed Time Table
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Date Day Activity
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March 9....................... Sunday--Taipei... Arrive in Taipei.
March 10...................... Monday--Taipei... Mission Meetings
Officially Start;
Breakfast briefing
with U.S. Embassy
Staff; One-on-one
business
appointments;
Evening business
reception.
March 11...................... Tuesday Travel to
Tokyo.
March 12...................... Wednesday--Tokyo. Briefing by U.S.
Embassy Staff; One-
on-one business
meetings; Evening
business reception.
March 13...................... Thursday Travel
to Seoul.
March 14...................... Friday--Seoul.... Briefing by U.S.
Embassy Staff; One-
on-one business
meetings; Evening
business reception;
Mission ends.
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*Note: The final schedule and potential site visits will depend on the
availability of local government and business officials, specific
goals of mission participants, and air travel schedules.
Participation Requirements
All parties interested in participating in the trade mission to
Japan, Korea and Taiwan must complete and submit an application package
for consideration by DOC. All applicants will be evaluated on their
ability to meet certain conditions and best satisfy the selection
criteria as outlined below. U.S. companies or trade associations
already doing business with Japan, Korea and Taiwan, as well as U.S.
companies seeking to enter these markets for the first time, may apply.
A minimum of fifteen, and a maximum of thirty, companies and/or trade
associations will be selected from the applicant pool for participation
in this mission.
Fees and Expenses
After a company has been selected to participate in the mission, a
payment to the Department of Commerce in the form of a participation
fee is required.
This Trade Mission is organized as three separate segments (Taiwan,
Korea and Japan). Companies may choose to participate in one, two or
all three segments. The fee for participating in more than one segment
is the sum of the individual segments.
For business-to-business meetings in Taiwan only (not traveling to
an additional trade mission country), the participation fee will be
$1,400 for a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) \1\* and $1,625 for
large firms*.
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\1\ An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or
that otherwise qualifies as a small business under SBA regulations
(see http://www.sba.gov/services/contracting opportunities/
sizestandardstopics/index.html). Parent companies, affiliates, and
subsidiaries will be considered when determining business size. The
dual pricing reflects the Commercial Service's user fee schedule
that became effective May 1, 2008 (see http://www.export.gov/newsletter/march2008/initiatives.html for additional information).
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For business-to-business meetings in Japan only (not traveling to
an additional trade mission country), the participation fee will be
$1,725 for a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) \1\* and $1,925 for
large firms*.
For business-to-business meetings in Korea only (not traveling to
an additional trade mission country), the participation fee will be
$1,275 for a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) \1\* and $1,475 for
large firms*.
Conditions for Participation
An applicant must submit a completed and signed mission
application and supplemental application materials, including adequate
information on the company's products and/or services, primary market
objectives, and goals for participation. If the Department of Commerce
receives an incomplete application, the Department may reject the
application, request additional information, or take the lack of
information into account when evaluating the application.
Each applicant must also certify that it seeks to attract
international travelers to the United States and that the travel and
tourism products and services it seeks to export through the mission
are located in the United States.
Selection Criteria for Participation
Suitability of the company's (or, in the case of a trade
association or trade organization, represented companies') products or
services to the market.
Company's (or, in the case of a trade association or trade
organization, represented companies') potential for conducting business
in the country and region, including likelihood of exports resulting
from the mission.
Consistency of the applicant's goals and objectives with
the stated scope of the mission.
Diversity of company size, sector or subsector, and location may
also be considered during the review process.
Referrals from political organizations and any documents containing
references to partisan political activities (including political
contributions) will be removed from an applicant's
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submission and not considered during the selection process.
Timeframe for Recruitment and Applications
Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner,
including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the
Department of Commerce trade mission calendar (www.export.gov/trademissions) and other Internet Web sites, press releases to general
and trade media, notices by industry trade associations and other
multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia,
conferences, and trade shows.
Recruitment for the mission will conclude no later than February 7,
2014. The U.S. Department of Commerce will review applications and make
selection decisions on a rolling basis until the maximum of thirty
participants is reached. We will inform all applicants of selection
decisions as soon as possible after the applications are reviewed.
Applications received after February 7, 2014 will be considered only if
space and scheduling constraints permit.
How To Apply
Applications can be downloaded from the trade mission Web site or
can be obtained by contacting the Department of Commerce staff listed
below. Completed applications should be submitted to Frank Spector at
[email protected].
Contacts
Commercial Service Trade Missions Program, Frank Spector, Senior,
International Trade Specialist, Tel: 202-482-2054, Email:
[email protected]
U.S. Commercial Service (U.S.), Anastasia Xenias, 212-809-2685, Email:
[email protected]
U.S. Commercial Service Japan, Stephen Anderson, Commercial
Attach[eacute], Tel: 81-3-3224-5058, Email: [email protected]
U.S. Commercial Service Korea, Keenton Chiang, Commercial Attache, Tel:
82-2-397-4908, Email: [email protected]
American Institute in Taiwan, Scott Pozil, Deputy Commercial Section
Chief, Ph: 886-2-2720-1550 ext. 381, Email: [email protected]
Frank Spector,
Senior International Trade Specialist, Global Trade Programs.
[FR Doc. 2013-13489 Filed 6-6-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P