The U.S. Travel Association is redoubling its efforts to increase inbound tourism and has joined other travel-related groups to lay out a plan for the government to leverage the power of travel, the nation’s leading export, to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
In a new report, “Ready for Takeoff,” U.S. Travel detailed several examples of self-imposed trade barriers that prevent the U.S. from making the most of its potential in travel and tourism. Key among them are what U.S. Travel called “inefficient and unpredictable” visa and visitor entry policies.
While 65% of overseas visitors are from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, the proportion is expected to change over time, with about 50% of visitors requiring visas by 2020.
The visa process, however, has already become a drag on the economy, the report said. High fees and long wait times — as much as 145 days in Brazil — deter leisure and business travelers, and knock the U.S. out of the running for numerous international trade shows, conferences and exhibitions.
The report offers an action plan that calls for the State Department to broaden its mission to include a focus on growing exports and to expand the Visa Waiver Program to include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Poland and Taiwan.
For countries where visas are still required, the plan suggests a goal of reducing the wait time to 10 days or less, which would be accomplished by realigning consular resources with “market demand” for visas, such as by adding and reassigning consular officers, keeping Saturday hours, or even reducing the fee for visa applicants who schedule their consular visits at off-peak times.
The report noted that the U.S. market share of long-haul international travel has declined over the past decade from 17% to 12%. If the U.S. could win back that market share by 2020, the result would be the creation of 1.3 million jobs and an additional $390 billion in tourism exports, the report said.
To conduct an awareness campaign, U.S. Travel reactivated the Discover America Partnership. Participating stakeholders include the American Hotel and Lodging Association, National Restaurant Association, National Retail Federation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce.