U.S. Travel Applauds Confirmation of Sen. John Kerry as U.S. Secretary of State

Washington, D.C., 2013-01-30 — /travelprnews.com/ — Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, released the following statement on the confirmation of John Kerry as U.S. Secretary of State:

“We congratulate Sen. John Kerry on his confirmation as Secretary of State. Sen. Kerry has long appreciated the value of travel as an economic and diplomatic tool, championing reforms to improve our visa and entry process during his tenure as in the Senate.”In his new role as Secretary of State, we encourage him to continue to unlock the power of people-to-people diplomacy and economic growth through continued improvements in the visa and entry experience for international visitors and expansion of the Visa Waiver Program.”Increasing international travel to the U.S. not only improves diplomacy but expands our economy. For every 33 overseas visitors who travel to America, one U.S. job is supported. Additionally, travel exports increased more than twice as fast as overall goods and services exports last year, demonstrating that travel is becoming an even more important generator of economic growth for our country through international trade.””Again, we congratulate Sen. Kerry on his confirmation and look forward to working with him in the coming years to advance international travel to the United States.”

Contact:
Cathy Keefe 202.408.2183

The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $1.9 trillion in economic output and supports 14.4 million jobs. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States.