In honor of National Travel and Tourism week this week, two U.S. Senators, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.), have introduced legislation designed to stimulate the U.S. economy by attracting more overseas visitors to the United States.Applauded yesterday by the U.S. Travel Association, the so-called "Travel Promotion Act of 2009" would establish a public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier international travel destination for overseas travelers. The promotion, according to the legislation—including paid advertisements and other marketing initiatives—would be paid for by private sector contributions and a $10 fee on foreign travelers from countries that do not pay $131 for a visa to enter the United States."This is the jobs and growth package America needs," U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement supporting the legislation. "Travel promotion is commonsense legislation that places America on par with its competitors around the world without taking a dollar from U.S. taxpayers."According to the U.S. Travel Association, overseas visitors spend an average of $4,500 per person, per trip in the United States. A program such as the one outlined in the Travel Promotion Act—a version of which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last year, but not before the Senate had adjourned—would attract an estimated 1.6 million new international visitors, create $4 billion in new spending and drive $321 million in new federal tax revenue every year.