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Dorgan, Klobuchar Say Passage of Travel Promotion Act Will Create Jobs, Boost Economy

Legislation would reduce the deficit by $425 million

February 25, 2010

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- U.S. Senators Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today said that passing the Travel Promotion Act will not only increase international tourism to the United States, but also create jobs and boost our domestic economy.

The Travel Promotion Act, sponsored by Dorgan, will create a nationally coordinated travel promotion campaign through a private-public partnership that will seek to reverse the slide in tourism to the United States.

The Congressional Budget Office has said that this bill will reduce the federal deficit by over $425 million, and the U.S. Travel Association estimates it will create 40,000 jobs in the first year.

The average overseas visitor puts over $4,000 into the economy, but in 2009, the U.S. welcomed almost 2.4 million fewer overseas visitors than in 2000. This decline translates into an estimated $214 billion lost in direct visitor spending and hundreds of thousands of lost jobs.

If the United States had simply kept pace with global travel trends, 68 million more overseas travelers would have visited the United States in the past decade. These travelers would have created or sustained an estimated 441,000 U.S. jobs.

 “This legislation will create new jobs and lead to a growth in the tourism industry at a time our country needs it the most,” Dorgan said. “Additionally, when we are deeply concerned with the country’s growing deficit, it makes sense to pass this bill, which will not only foster job creation, but also reduce the deficit.”

 “From the heartland to the coasts, tourism creates jobs that can’t be outsourced. It also increases business revenue in every state. The Travel Promotion Act will promote the United States to the world and bring in billions of dollars for our economy without costing taxpayers a penny,” said Senator Klobuchar.

“Thanks to the bipartisan leadership of Senators Reid, Dorgan, Ensign and Klobuchar, this critical legislation is near the goal line. The Travel Promotion Act will finally reverse the lost decade of overseas travel to the United States since 9/11, reduce the federal deficit by generating billions in spending each year and create tens of thousands of jobs in cities and states across the country,” said Roger Dow, President & CEO of the U.S. Travel Association

The Travel Promotion Act creates a Corporation for Travel Promotion, an independent, non-profit corporation, to run the travel promotion campaign. The program will be funded by a nominal $10 fee paid by foreign travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries and matching contributions from the travel industry.

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