WASHINGTON, 2015-3-12 — /Travel PR News/ — U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow comments on news from the U.S. Commerce Department that inbound international visitation to the United States reached a new high in 2014:
“This latest international visitation figure is the fruit of a lot of hard work by the American travel community and policymakers in Washington. This kind of incredible upsurge doesn’t happen by accident, especially because other countries are competing harder than ever for international travel dollars.
“Recent policy moves like renewing the Brand USA public-private partnership to market the U.S., adding Customs and Border Protection officers, expanding Global Entry and the Visa Waiver Program, and extending the validity of Chinese tourist visas all add up to make this kind of success possible. Of course it’s not just the number of people, it’s the dollars they spend here—a record $222 billion last year.
“The Obama administration has made it clear that it recognizes the economic potency of international travel, and has prioritized travel-related policies accordingly, setting a goal of 100 million international visitors by 2021. With this latest data, we are well ahead of that pace.”
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The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $2.1 trillion in economic output and supports 14.9 million jobs. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States.
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