The mayors of Dallas and Fort Worth arrived in Berlin last Sunday, leading a Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport delegation in an effort to develop business relationships and travel connections, especially nonstop cargo and passenger flights, between DFW and Europe.
Along with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price are DFW Airport Board of Directors Chair Lillie Biggins, DFW Airport Board Member Bernice J. Washington, DFW Airport CEO Sean Donohue, and a contingent of business leaders from the region including President and CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, Robbie Briggs.
“The relationships we have with Germany and the U.K. go back a long time,” Price said. “Our regions have strong industry connections across diverse business sectors, such as aerospace and defense, technology, construction, energy, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, and of course, travel and tourism. … Business ties further reinforce our connections, and this mission gives us an opportunity to share and build on these relationships.”
Meetings are scheduled in the United Kingdom and Germany. Here’s a nice nugget to toss into your strudel: Germany is the second largest foreign investor in the Texas market. I’ll bet that wouldn’t surprise Bernadette Schaeffler one bit. By the way, Bernadette was just named “Pillar of the Community” by the Texas German Day Council!
“The growth in our region is staggering – from both the international and domestic standpoint,” Briggs said. “It is incumbent upon business leadership to reach out and establish lines of communication, and to explain what the DFW market has to offer investors, visitors and new residents.”
Which is exactly what they are doing. DFW International Airport currently has five European nonstop destinations: Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, Heathrow/London and Madrid. To ensure a smooth arrival, the airport organizes 700 “ambassador” volunteers to greet and assist international travelers. I mean, can you imagine coming to DFW from a small village in France and taking in the vastness of the place? Personal face to face volunteers are so much friendly than a touchboard screen. Volunteers help guide visitors to the light rail into the city center of Dallas; the rail will expand within two years to downtown Fort Worth, airport officials said.
The airport delegation began its European visit with a debriefing by Mortiz Holtz of the U.S. Commercial Service of the American Embassy in Berlin. He offered an economic update on Germany and Europe.
The delegation will meet with officials in Europe through June 13.
The trip also helps set the stage for the Word Travel & Tourism Council’s meeting in Dallas in April 2016.
“The decision to bring this important gathering to Dallas confirms that our city is growing as an international destination with an increasing number of direct flights out of DFW International Airport,” Mayor Rawlings said. “Dallas has hosted the New Cities Summit, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and now this prestigious global organization has recognized Dallas as a key city and region within the United States.”
“From the moment we hit the ground in Berlin on Sunday, we’ve been learning a lot about how a busy international airport can make all the difference in whether a region’s economy grows,” says Robbie. “What a great opportunity to be with our regions leaders promoting North Texas.”
Here are some interesting tidbits Robbie picked up from this trip:
– DFW International Airport is larger than the island of Manhattan. (I think I knew that when I moved here FROM Manhattan.)
– Dallas is passing out the Dallas City Pass all over Europe, a ticket booklet for discount admissions to our region’s top-notch attractions, such as Reunion Tower Geo-Deck, the Dallas Zoo and the Perot Museum of Nature & Science.
– The contingent is expanding opportunities for air travel with Lufthansa and Air Berlin.
Though the construction at some terminals continue to drive me batty, we are so lucky to have DFW International Airport in our region because it is not only a great airport for getting almost anywhere directly, its a huge draw for business, commerce and travel. Earlier today I spoke with some Realtors who tell me buyers are literally measuring the distance from DFW to certain properties before they buy. And DFW does some good things for us, too:
– It has a $32 billion economic impact on the region.
– It accounts for 10 percent of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP).
– About 150,000 North Texans work at the airport in some capacity.
– The annual payroll is $10 billion. With a B.
– You can fly to 55 international destinations.
– It sits on 17,000 acres — that’s the size of a good ranch!
– 700 ambassadors volunteer their time to guide customers through the facility.
– There are 70 passport scanners for international arrivals.
