The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. bill 3232, also known as the "Travel Promotion Act of 2008," the Travel Industry Association (TIA) announced last week. The bill, which will establish a public-private partnership with which to attract millions of overseas visitors to the United States, cleared the House on Thursday and must be approved by the U.S. Senate in order to become law.
"The U.S. House of Representatives took decisive action today to jump-start America's struggling economy and create thousands of new jobs by passing the 'Travel Promotion Act,'" TIA President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement. "We now call on the U.S. Senate to act quickly to reverse the decline in overseas visitors visitation to the United States to utilize the power of travel to strengthen the American economy."
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reported last this week, a companion bill to House bill 3232, Senate bill 1661, has received 50 sponsors in the U.S. Senate. If passed, it would more effectively communicate U.S. security and entry policies as part of a multi-million dollar destination marketing effort in foreign countries, travelers from which contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy every year, according to TIA.
"This is a historic, unprecedented achievement for the travel community," Dow said. "In response to the tragic events of 9/11, the government put in place needed security measures. This legislation creates a public-private partnership to ensure proper communication of those measures and attract millions of additional international visitors."
The House version of the Travel Promotion Act was introduced by Representatives William Delahunt (D-Mass.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), and co-sponsored by 243 additional members of the U.S. House of Representatives. If enacted into law, the legislation will initiate a significant travel promotion effort among international tourists, paid for by private sector contributions and a small fee levied on foreign travelers who do not pay the $131 charge for a U.S. visa. According to TIA, the result will be 46 million additional foreign visitors, $140 billion in additional visitor spending and $23 billion in additional tax revenue.