The BridgeUSA Celebration Tour’s Park City stop highlighted international students’ role in seasonal tourism while promoting exchange as an economic and diplomatic asset.
The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) brought its BridgeUSA Celebration Tour to Park City, Utah, marking the ninth stop in a nationwide programme focused on the economic, cultural and diplomatic value of international exchange. The organisation recognised local supporters of the BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel programme, including host employers, supervisors, mentors, community leaders and advocates. The visit also began the 2026 leg of the tour, which is scheduled to continue to Mackinac Island, Wisconsin Dells and Ocean City later in the year.
BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel brings international university students to the United States during their summer break to live and work temporarily. CIEE says the programme helps seasonal employers extend the tourism season by an average of 50 days and contributes billions of dollars to the American economy each year. In Park City, more than 1,200 participants from the Southern Hemisphere support ski resorts and other local businesses during the United States’ winter recreation season.
The Park City gathering placed the programme within a broader network of businesses and communities that rely on seasonal labour. CIEE said participants help ski resorts, restaurants, retailers and hospitality providers maintain operations during peak periods, while allowing employers to extend the duration of their busiest sales season. The organisation also framed the exchange as a two-way cultural experience, with students gaining exposure to American communities and returning home with knowledge of American culture and values.
CIEE President and Chief Executive James P. Pellow said participants finance their own journeys on temporary visas and support American businesses and communities while they are in the country. CIEE Senior Vice-President of External Affairs Carye Duffin described Utah as an authentic setting for participants to experience American culture, while thanking the local people who support the programme. The organisation also connects the exchanges to public diplomacy, arguing that positive experiences can strengthen mutual respect between Americans and people from other nations.
The tour began in Ohio and Kentucky in June 2025, with subsequent stops in Montana, Myrtle Beach and San Antonio before reaching Park City. Its continuation reflects CIEE’s effort to make the case for international exchange through the places and employers that participate in it, rather than through policy discussion alone. For the communities involved, the programme combines a practical response to seasonal staffing needs with a structured form of cultural contact.
