Travel Tips

Travel Promotion Act Signed Into Law: Will It Help or Hurt International Travel?

American flag - Travel Promotion ActPresident Obama has signed the Travel Promotion Act into law.

The controversial bill will create a national travel marketing program for the United States partially funded by charging foreign tourists a $10 entry fee.

Supporters of the bill say it will help turn around the United States’ struggling international tourism market. But others fear that it could actually drive away potential tourists and even result in tit-for-tat entrance fees from other countries.

Before the Travel Promotion Act, states were on their own to manage their marketing and outreach campaigns. But now, the United States will have its first national program to highlight and promote the country as a travel destination.

Another key aspect of the bill is focused on better explaining complicated travel and security policies to international visitors.

Cash - $10 entry feeThe bill will establish a non-profit corporation funded through a matching program featuring up to $100 million in private sector contributions and a $10 “entry fee” from Visa Waiver Countries. Visa Waiver Countries are foreign countries whose citizens are not required to get a visa to travel to the United States, and include major tourism markets like Australia, Japan, South Korea, and much of Europe.

Proponents of the bill estimate that the program will generate $4 billion in new consumer spending and reduce the federal deficit by $425 million without any cost to taxpayers.

Learn more about the Travel Promotion Act with: Foreign Tourism to USA Down; Can the Travel Promotion Act Save the Day?

But others claim that the best way to revive foreign tourism is to make visiting the United States less of a hassle and a friendlier experience. The $10 charge is a particular point of contention.

Dollar signSome say that the $10 fee is a non-factor and minimal when compared to the overall cost of a vacation, while others insist that it is just another pain in the neck that could turn tourists off of the United States altogether.

It will likely take five to 12 months for the Department of Homeland Security to set up a system to collect the fee from visitors.

The number of international visitors to the United States has gone down every year since 2001.

What do you think? Is the Travel Promotion Act a good idea? Is there a better way to bring tourists back to the United States? Let us know in the comments below.

By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.

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