Congress Reaffirms Importance of International Travel to the USA
Today marks a new milestone in the U.S. travel and tourism industry’s recovery from COVID-19. President Biden signs the 2022 omnibus spending bill, which includes the Restoring Brand USA Act. The international segment of the travel economy is the most lucrative and has been the slowest to return to pre-pandemic levels. The new funding will allow Brand USA and our partners to rebuild traveler confidence, stimulate demand, and accelerate the return of international visitation and spend. Welcoming the world back will translate directly into economic growth, quality jobs, and tax revenues in communities throughout our great nation.
We appreciate the many champions in Congress on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers who acknowledge the critical role of international travel to our nation’s economic vitality. We’re also thankful for our friends at the U.S. Travel Association and others who advocated so forcefully to advance this bill across the finish line. Most importantly, we’re thankful for the ongoing faith, trust, and support of our partners.
###
About Brand USA
Brand USA is the nation’s destination marketing organization, dedicated to attracting legitimate international inbound travel to strengthen the U.S. economy, increase exports, create quality jobs, and promote community prosperity. By running data-driven campaigns and unifying messaging across industry and government, Brand USA positions the United States as a top global destination while providing current visa and entry information.
Since 2012 Brand USA, in collaboration with travel industry partners, has been responsible for attracting an additional 10.3 million visitors who spent nearly $35 billion in the United States, generating $76 billion in economic output, and sustaining nearly 40,000 jobs per year. Without any cost to taxpayers, these efforts have generated $10 billion in tax receipts and returned $20 to the U.S. economy for every dollar spent.