The United States has always been an exporter of culture and values through movies, music, and technology. This has led the USA to being a top travel destination throughout the world. However, we have seen declines in vacation and leisure travel into the US since 2018, according to a new report released by the Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel, an initiative of the US Travel Association.1 Sadly, this has cost US businesses billions of dollars in lost revenue and jobs.
Emphasizing an urgency to implement the changes outlined in the report as soon as possible, the commission highlighted the importance of this because of a number of upcoming national celebrations and international sporting events that will be hosted in the US. These include the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 2025 Ryder Cup, America’s 250th anniversary, the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup, the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and annual Formula One races.2 The report states that by implementing the right leadership and policies, the USA could welcome 40 million international visitors, leading to a gain of $95 billion in economic activity.
These policies are summed up in four recommendations:
Showcase America as a travel destination at premiere international events through an interagency task force with leadership from the Trump administration and Congress.
Establish a National Vetting Service dedicated entirely to processing visas and vetting travelers paid for through visa fees, that will provide full staffing for consulates, extend visitor visa eligibility, and create a Secure Travel Partnership program with partnership countries.
Utilize the latest technology to create a state-of-the-art biometric screening process at American airports, which will greatly optimize efficiency.
Change policies for customs at incoming international airports hubs to allow for full staffing at customs, more efficient processing of low-risk American citizens, and biometric screenings to protect against immigration overstays for non-American incoming travelers.
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According to the Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel, these policies will help boost the US economy by streamlining the visa and entrance processes for travel to the US, encouraging and welcoming international visitors. The US Travel Association is focused on getting these changes implemented in time for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, in which international attention will be focused on 11 American hosting cities.3
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