The tourism organizations of Kenya, Chicago, Hawaii and DC are taking notice of the rock-star popularity of the new President of the United States. They are beginning to milk the Obama connection for all the tourism it’s worth.
On inauguration day morning I was asked to do an interview about Obamamania in travel. The producers wanted me to talk about bargain travel to places associated with Obama — Hawaii, Chicago and Washington DC. You betcha tourism will pick up in the footsteps of our new Mr. President. Unfortunately, the interview was canceled for additional coverage of events on the National Mall.
The Obama Effect on travel and tourism has both international and domestic implications. Organizers are moving quickly to capitalize on the furor.
Prior to the inauguration, the Boys Choir of Kenya was touring the US, having appearances on CNN and preparing for a series of inauguration gala appearances. Kenyan tourism officials and businessmen are footing the bill for much of the expenses of the choir in order to attract tourists to the country that only a year ago was undergoing a mini civil war. They are using the cache of Barack Obama’s presidency to promote their country.
In a bit of serendipity, Delta Airlines has recently opened offices in Nairobi and will launch flights from Atlanta to Nairobi later this year. The flights to Nairobi will start on June 2 and seat 221 people in Delta’s Boeing 757-300ER. Talk about good timing.
Kenya’s Tourism Minister noted, “The direct air connection between the US and Nairobi and the election of President Barack Obama is the best opportunity we have ever had to reach the huge potential of the American tourism market.”
Some cities have the luck of the right name. Obama, Japan, during the election started an “Obama for Obama” campaign. His victory may mean more this town than simply a change in foreign policy. The fishing village celebrated Barack Obama’s victory with elation and the town fathers hope that their, now famous, name will put their city on the trail of more tourists.
Obama, which means “little beach” in Japanese, is a former fishing town that now relies almost entirely on tourism. More than 500 years old, it boasts several ancient temples and a distinctive hand-painted lacquerware.
But the rustic town, wrapped around a stretch of sandy beach and surrounded by wooded hills, is not well-known, even among Japanese tourists. So Obama?ˉs success has been a welcome boon.
The town has been featured repeatedly in the domestic and international media, and the number of visitors has increased 20 percent since it linked itself to the Obama campaign, said Shigeyoshi Takeda, who heads the city tourism bureau.
Hawaii, now in the midst of a tourism downturn, couldn’t have wished for better publicity than the Obama’s vacation at Waikiki just after the elections. Having the national news media featuring the beauty of the islands day after day is priceless.
Whether or not special “In the footsteps of Obama” tours start operation is still a question, but the additional coverage of Hawaii during future Presidential vacations will certainly have a positive effect.
According to USA Today, “The sole existing Obama-related tour is a 90-minute stroll through the middle-class neighborhood where Obama spent most of his preteen and teenage years. It’s led by Jack Christenson, a quirky septuagenarian who goes by the moniker Uncle Jack.”
Washington, DC, is planning for a giant tourism boost with the installation of Barack Obama as the President. Of course the inauguration was a boon to tourism in the town as almost two million people poured into the city center for the festivities. But, the emphasis on Lincoln and a new focus on slavery and the black struggle for civil rights will also have a positive effect on tourism in the Nation’s Capital.
The city is as ready as ever for more tourism. The spectacular Capitol Visitor Center is in full operation, the refurbished Museum of American History has been opened and the Ford Theater where Lincoln was shot has been restored and open again next month. Just outside the city center, Mount Vernon, has ramped up its museum displays focused on the inauguration of our first President.
Illinois has decided to jump on the Obama tourism bandwagon as well. The Chicago website proclaims, “experience the city the Obamas enjoy.” The Obama house has become a tourist attraction and there are plenty of signs already showing up (or will be) proclaiming “Obama ate here, Obama buys books here, Obama gets his hair cut here.”
Three hours south, the state capital of Springfield, is thumping the tourism drum shamelessly.
“Obama will be a big part of our marketing plan,” said Tim Farley, executive director of Springfield’s convention and visitors bureau. “We’re scrambling to do that.”
Obama’s two campaign speeches at the Old State Capitol _ in February 2007 to announce his presidential bid, and in August to introduce Joe Biden as his running mate _ are just the beginning, Farley said. The future president spent nearly eight years in the Legislature, and parallels with Abraham Lincoln are strong.
If Obama’s been there or has connections there, that will be where new tourists will be heading. At least those are the hopes of tourism officials, tour organizers and local businesspeople getting ready to reap the rewards of being associated with a popular and historic President.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
