IPW 2025 in Chicago highlights demand for California travel
Lindsey Cody
July 10, 2025
Visit California returned from IPW 2025 in Chicago with strong momentum, fresh connections and renewed excitement about the state’s role in shaping the future of U.S. tourism.
As the country’s leading international travel marketplace, IPW once again served as a vital platform for connecting with global buyers, media and industry decision-makers. This year’s event provided meaningful opportunities to highlight California’s diverse offerings, build international relationships and generate new leads across key markets
Visit California’s booth welcomed a steady stream of buyers from Australia, China, India and Latin America, with team members reporting productive conversations throughout the week. Media activations drew large crowds, including a standing-room-only press conference celebrating the upcoming Route 66 centennial.
The California delegation was one of the largest and most diverse on the show floor, with 118 partners representing destinations across the state — from major gateway cities to emerging regions. Collectively, the group completed 23% more appointments than the previous year.
One of the most buzzworthy moments came from California’s leading role in the multi-state Route 66 promotion. In collaboration with tourism offices from Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, Visit California helped spotlight the legendary highway as a cross-country travel experience. The joint effort laid the groundwork for next year’s centennial celebration and reinforced California’s leadership in destination storytelling.
Beyond the show floor, IPW 2025 marked an important milestone in Visit California’s long-term global strategy. The event served as a key moment in the “Road to Anaheim 2030” initiative, helping build year-round momentum through strategic programming, international engagement and cross-sector collaboration.
Visit California was thrilled to be joined by so many industry partners who made this year’s showing so successful. Their passion, creativity and teamwork helped bring the California experience to life in Chicago and demonstrated once again why the Golden State remains a top choice for global travelers.