DiscoverAmerica.com, the United States' first-ever official travel and tourism website, has been successfully launched with language-specific sites in the leading international travel markets, it was announced today by the Travel Industry Association.

The websites target consumers in the five countries that account for 75 percent of all inbound travel to the United States: Canada (English- and French-speaking), Mexico, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany. Interactive content for all 50 states, the five territories, dozens of cities and attractions, and official entry information from U.S. government sources is presented in the native languages of each market.

DiscoverAmerica.com is the result of a cooperative agreement awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce to the Travel Industry Association (TIA) in January 2007. The six websites took about 16 months to research, develop and build.

"Today the United States offers travelers worldwide a one-stop shop for travel planning and an official source of information on the diversity, beauty and spirit of America," said Roger Dow, TIA's President and CEO. "I extend my gratitude to Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, the U.S. Department of Commerce and its Office of Travel and Tourism Industries for their vision and leadership on this important effort. DiscoverAmerica.com is an attractive, sophisticated and much-needed product that gives a very public face to our nation."

In addition to its wealth of destination content, the websites feature an interactive map, an activity finder that sorts by 24 popular trip activities, booking opportunities through in-market travel specialists and through Travelocity, travel deals in the USA, and a Stories section for travelers to post authentic reviews and comments. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George Bush and Bill Clinton co-signed a welcome letter posted on the About USA section.