Mall of America® Launches Multilingual Website to Cater to International Visitors, Draw Retail Tourism to Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, May 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The largest mall in the U.S., and one of the most well-regarded international tourist attractions in the Midwest, Mall of America^® recently launched a series of multilingual webpages to cater to the millions of international visitors planning trips to Minnesota each year. The in-language experience for speakers of Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese and Chinese will allow for easier advanced planning and learn more about shopping, attractions, dining and services offered at Mall of America.

International web visitors – based on their web browser language settings – will be auto-directed to Mall of America's new multilingual landing page when they visit www.mallofamerica.com on their devices, mobile or desktop. The site, which includes tourism and visitor content as well as practical trip planning information all in their native language, can also be directly accessed at http://visit.mallofamerica.com. Once on the site guests are greeted by video content in the language of their choice, which was produced in partnership with Brand USA.

Content has been translated by native speakers and each language webpage also takes into account cultural preferences, highlighting specific brands that appeal most to each nationality. The entire user experience is both mobile and desktop friendly and guests will always have the option of switching back to the English version of the site.

"The addition of the new multilingual website allows for Mall of America to have direct communication with millions of guests each year, something we struggled to do in the past due to language barriers," said Jill Renslow, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Mall of America. "Previously multilingual guests had difficulty finding information to help plan their trip to the Mall. Now, these visitors can easily access helpful information to make their visit more enjoyable."

With an estimated $12 billion in additional sales attributed to international tourism across the state of Minnesota, inviting and embracing multilingual guests to enhance their interactive experience in their own language is the first step to help them discover all that Mall of America has to offer. Approximately 3 million of the 40 million annual visitors to the Mall come from international destinations and like shoppers in the U.S., use the web to search out stores, deals and activities while planning family trips.

"International retail travel is a growing trend among visitors from Asia, in particular," said Doug Killian, Senior Director of International Tourism at Mall of America. "Thanks to a new 10-year, multiple entry U.S. visa made available to Chinese and U.S. citizens, shoppers looking to travel to the United States from China seek out fashion, jewelry and beauty products unavailable in their home country. Chinese travelers find Minnesota very attractive to shop for clothing and shoes, completely tax free."

At both a state and national level, efforts such as the multiple entry visa as well as the creation of Brand USA, the public-private partnership that promotes international travel to the United States, has encouraged international retail travel from around the globe. As a premier shopping destination for more than 23 years, Mall of America continues to be a major draw and will continue to do so with its 750,000-square-foot expansion – including retail, a luxury hotel and entertainment options – slated to open later in 2015.

About Mall of America^®
Mall of America is the nation's largest retail and entertainment complex. At 4.87 million square feet, the Mall is home to more than 520 world-class shops; Nickelodeon Universe, the nation's largest indoor family theme park; EMS Entertainment Exhibit Center; SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, a 1.2 million gallon walk-through aquarium; Hard Rock Cafe; Moose Mountain Adventure Golf; Theatres at Mall of America, a 14-screen movie theater with digital projection including 4K, digital sound and 3D capabilities; Radisson Blu Mall of America, a 500-room hotel connected by skyway to Mall of America The Mall opened in August of 1992 and is located in Bloomington, Minn., just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Mall is currently undergoing an expansion project on all three levels on the north side. The expansion will include a 342-room JW Marriott hotel, office tower, high-end retailers, new dining options, a tourist welcome center and large event space. Follow Mall of America on Facebook and Twitter or visit our blog.

SOURCE Mall of America

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http://www.mallofamerica.com