Travel Promotion Act’s final hurdle

The ground-breaking US Travel Promotion Act has now been passed by the U.S, Congress, and has now been handed back to the U.S. Senate for some points of administration. Once finalised, this will lead to the major promotion of overseas travel to the USA, a move long advocated and supported by the Visit USA Association according to Kate Burgess-Craddy, VUSA Association Chair.

“Given the market difficulties which we have all experienced in recent months and, as we heard at the recent VUSA Association General Meeting, are likely to experience for a few years yet, the timing is really excellent!”

The Bill is likely to require UK visitors to pay a $10 fee for their ESTA applications plus credit card and administration charges.

The funds raised will be used to create a non-profit organisation that will be charged with promoting overseas tourism to the USA and mandated to find matching funds in the private sector for the first $100 million.

“We want to work closely with this organisation and those responsible for creating it, to ensure that, jointly, we maximise the impact of this terrific opportunity and make sure that it will be relevant to the local market.    Inevitably, the Act's implementation will now involve a lot of time and effort,” Kate Burgess-Craddy added.

“However, if this funding mechanism is confirmed, rest assured we will do our utmost at Visit USA to minimise the negative PR that will be generated, just as we did last year at the initial introduction of the ESTA requirement.   Meanwhile, please join me in congratulating all those involved at US Travel who made the Act a reality.”

Oxford Economics, a U.S. research firm, believes that marketing could attract 1.6 million more visitors each year.

The U.S. Department of Commerce is expecting 51.4 million foreign visitors this year, down from 58 million in 2008.