PowWow [3]

Responding to President Obama’s executive order to form an Export Promotion Cabinet and comments regarding a National Export Initiative to double exports over the next five years, Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, issued the following statement:

“With international visitation to the U.S. accounting for our country’s largest service export, the travel community applauds President Obama’s efforts to bring attention to this important component of our economy. His signing last week of the Travel Promotion Act to establish the first-ever substantial U.S. promotion and communications program aimed at travelers from other countries was an important step in bolstering our export activities. The U.S. would have welcomed 68 million additional overseas visitors over the past decade if we simply kept pace with global long-haul travel trends.

“As the National Export Initiative launches, we strongly encourage the Administration to consider additional methods of attracting overseas travelers. A U.S. Travel analysis found if the U.S. could double the number of overseas arrivals from Visa Waiver Program countries (no need for U.S. visa to travel to the U.S.) to 35.89 million, it would provide more than $88 billion in direct travel spending or over $208 billion in direct, indirect and induced spending for the U.S. economy and support 826,426 direct travel-related jobs.

“If the U.S. can double arrivals in five years in just three key emerging countries – Brazil, China and India – we would cumulatively receive a total of $24.2 billion in export revenues that would support 207,600 jobs related to international travel and tourism.

“Increasing arrivals from countries that require a U.S. visa is more challenging, but it can be done by improving access to U.S. consulates, through the use of videoconferencing technology for visa interviews and increasing officers to conduct visa interviews.

“Attracting international visitors to the U.S. is a powerful way to bolster our exports and create American jobs. We look forward to working with the White House and Commerce Department to ensure implementation of the Travel Promotion Act happens as quickly as possible to benefit America.”