The Seattle Southside region – including Burien – will get some star treatment through this Saturday (July 29) when Brand USA will be filming for a series of short videos aimed at attracting international visitors from around the world. The videos will be filmed in partnership with the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. Here are some photos of the film crew in action in Burien on Thursday, July 27 (click images to see larger versions/slideshow): To show the diversity of the destination, Seattle Southside highlights to appear in the Brand USA video include Burien Town Square and Seahurst Park in Burien; Saltwater State Park in Des Moines, Angle Lake Park and the Highline Botanical Garden in SeaTac; the Des Moines Farmers Market and Westfield Southcenter Mall in Tukwila. Brand USA was established by Congress in 2010 to promote the U.S. as
 a premier travel destination for international visitors. Being featured by Brand USA allows Seattle Southside to profit by:

  1. Promoting their local story directly to international travelers through enticing, affordable, authentic and high-quality multimedia.
  2. Increasing business for area hotels, restaurants, attractions, retail and family-owned businesses, which generates Seattle Southside area tax revenues.
  3. Helping create jobs locally.
“Seattle Southside combines the distinctive appeal of many experiences from historic Main Street destinations to beautiful parks and gardens, locally grown produce and big city shopping,” said Katherine Kertzman, President and CEO of Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. “Seattle Southside’s timeless splendor and emerging economic diversity continue to define its inimitable personality, which we will bring to life through these videos in partnership with Brand USA.” “The enthusiasm for learning about the USA abroad is as strong as it’s ever been,” said Tom Garzilli, Brand USA’s chief marketing officer. “We have the strategy of talking about the iconic places and experiences that make the USA unique, and Seattle Southside is an exceptional destination.” According to a study released by Oxford Economics, over the past three years, Brand USA’s marketing efforts have generated more than 3 million incremental international visitors to the United States, benefiting the U.S. economy with nearly $21 billion in total economic impact, which has supported, on average, 50,000 incremental jobs each year. The videos like the one in which Seattle Southside will appear showcase activities and interests unique to the target travelers based upon Brand USA’s extensive research. Brand USA will distribute the videos using their own direct-to-consumer marketing channels: ]]>

Since 2007, The B-Town Blog is Burien’s multiple award-winning hyperlocal news/events website dedicated to independent journalism.