Some of the budget line items in the 4,155-page law can be overlooked after all the political bluster surrounding the $1.7 trillion federal funding deal.
We're pleased to report that both travelers and the travel sector see significant gains from the omnibus budget measure.
A new assistant secretary of travel and tourism job within the U.S. Department of Commerce, which would concentrate on the nation's $1.1 trillion travel industry, is one of the highlights.
Geoff Freeman, president, and chief executive officer of the U.S. Travel Association, declares that this is a huge victory for tourists, the travel industry, and the American economy.
The US will now join all G20 nations with a senior federal officer focused on travel, according to a bipartisan and bicameral group of Congressional leaders.
The new post "will play an important role as we collaborate with the government to reduce visitor visa wait times, improve security screening, and make use of new technology to make travel more convenient and secure," Freeman noted.
The USTA has been a key supporter of this new federal position, which, according to the association, will highlight the industry's beneficial effects on the American economy and aid in reestablishing America's worldwide competitiveness.
The bipartisan Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act was presented by Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss. It includes the advances in the travel sector.
According to Rosen's office, the additional legislation's travel-related provisions include creating a U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, gathering information on domestic travel and tourism, requiring the creation of a national travel and tourism strategy every ten years, and reporting on the pandemic's effects on the sector.
A national tourist strategy had not previously been developed and coordinated by anyone in the federal government, according to Rosen's office.
This will now be for the first time established by the bill.
The funding bill's travel section will also give Congress supervision over the high visa wait periods, which now average over 400 days for visitor visa appointments.
The U.S. Fly Association predicts that as a result of these lengthy wait times, foreign tourists would be unable to secure visitor visas in time to travel to the U.S. in 2023, which will result in 6.6 million fewer foreign visitors and a loss of $11.6 billion in spending for American businesses.
The law just passed the Senate ahead of the Friday deadline, and it is anticipated to pass the House of Representatives as soon as tonight. After that, President Joe Biden will be asked to sign the legislation.
As soon as it reaches the president's desk, the document is anticipated to be signed.
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