• Home
• About Amy
• Serving Minnesotans
• About Minnesota
• Issues/ Legislation
• Media Center
• Contact Amy
• FAQ

News Releases

Klobuchar: Travel Promotion Act Will Boost Economy, Create Jobs

Klobuchar urges Congress to pass bill without delay

September 8, 2009

Washington, D.C. – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar urged Congress to quickly pass the Travel Promotion Act, bipartisan legislation which will promote the United States as an international travel destination, stimulate the economy and create jobs. Klobuchar is a cosponsor of the legislation and helped push the bill through the Senate Commerce Committee, where she serves as Chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the U.S. tourism industry. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill this week.

“The Travel Promotion Act will give us the tools we need to promote the U.S. as an international travel destination,” said Klobuchar.  “The importance of this legislation is clear: An increase in international travelers means an increase in sales for businesses ranging from lodges to restaurants to airlines, an increase in revenue for local economies and an increase in jobs.” 

The Travel Promotion Act, which requires no money from the American taxpayer, is estimated to attract 1.6 million new international visitors to the country and add $4 billion to the U.S. economy.  An analysis by the U.S. Travel Association reveals that this program would create nearly 40,000 new American jobs.  Additionally, a report by the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill will reduce the budget deficit by $425 million over the next 10 years.

Tourism is the fifth largest industry in Minnesota, generating $11 billion in sales and providing nearly 11 percent of the state’s total private sector employment.  Klobuchar has traveled across the state, including to Duluth, the Brainerd Lakes area, International Falls, Bemidji and Grand Marais to meet with Minnesotans working in the tourism industry and discuss how to better promote tourism in the state.

“From the business hotels in the Twin Cities to the lodges on the North Shore, from the scenic Root River bike trail in southeastern Minnesota to the hundreds of fishing resorts on our lakes, Minnesota has an abundance of travel and vacation opportunities,” said Klobuchar.

Since 2000, the U.S. share of the world travel market has decreased by nearly 20 percent, costing us hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue.  Additionally, the tourism industry is feeling the effects of the economic downturn.  In 2008, nearly 200,000 travel-related jobs were lost nationally.

The Travel Promotion Act will establish a public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier international travel destination. The legislation calls for travel promotion to be paid for by private sector contributions and a $10 fee on foreign travelers who enter the United States.  Canadian citizens are exempt from the fee.


###