Description
Travel.and.tourism.are.critical.to.the.American.economy..This.growing.industry.offers.significant.
potential.for.job.creation.across.all.regions.of.the.country..Federal.policies.on.matters.ranging.from.
national.security.to.transportation.and.from.trade.to.natural.resources.management.affect.travel.
and.tourism,.and.its.potential.for.growth..In.a.global.economy,.a.range.of.businesses.depend.on.
travel.and.tourism.policies.to.enable.clients,.customers,.and.colleagues.to.conduct.business.in.the.
United.States..In.addition,.ensuring.that.international.visitors.have.a.positive.experience.in.America.
is.an.essential.component.of.our.public.diplomacy.and.U.S..foreign.policy..
2012
National Travel
& Tourism Strategy
Task Force on Travel & Competitiveness
Contents
I. Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................................. 3
II. Situation Analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 6
III. Promoting the United States ..........................................................................................................................16
IV. Enabling and Enhancing Travel and Tourism to and within the United States .........................19
V. Providing World-Class Customer Service and Visitor Experience ...................................................24
VI. Coordinating across Government ................................................................................................................28
VII. Conducting Research and Measuring Results .........................................................................................30
VIII. Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................................................32
1
John Bryson, Secretary of Commerce
Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior
On behalf of the Task Force on Travel
Competitiveness
Introduction
Letter to the President from
Co-Chairs of the Task Force
on Travel and Competitiveness
Dear Mr. President:
On January 19, 2012, you signed an Executive Order establishing a new Task Force on Travel
and Competitiveness, which you charged with developing a National Travel and Tourism
Strategy. As co-chairs of the Task Force, we have worked to develop the attached set of
policies, actions, and recommendations to promote domestic and international travel
throughout the United States, and each agency that you called on in your Executive Order
has developed straightforward, common-sense approaches to reducing barriers, creating
opportunities, and improving customer service.
The Task Force’s comprehensive government-wide strategy will encourage travelers to
choose America as the world’s premier tourism destination. It will better facilitate entering
into and traveling across the United States, and foster greater cooperation with the private
sector to provide a world-class U.S. travel experience that will encourage visitors to extend
their stays and return to see more.
Our goal is simple yet bold: increase American jobs by attracting and welcoming 100 million
international visitors, who we estimate will spend $250 billion, annually by the end of 2021.
We will also encourage Americans to travel within the United States and its territories to see
all that our country has to ofer.
Thank you for the opportunity to chair this Task Force. We are energized that you have
challenged us to do more and to do better. The promise of meaningful job creation is
within our reach, and we are already working together to achieve the goals outlined in this
National Strategy.
2
3
EXECUTI VE SUMMARY
I. Executive Summary
Travel and tourism are critical to the American economy. This growing industry ofers signifcant
potential for job creation across all regions of the country. Federal policies on matters ranging from
national security to transportation and from trade to natural resources management afect travel
and tourism, and its potential for growth. In a global economy, a range of businesses depend on
travel and tourism policies to enable clients, customers, and colleagues to conduct business in the
United States. In addition, ensuring that international visitors have a positive experience in America
is an essential component of our public diplomacy and U.S. foreign policy.
In 2011, the travel and tourism industry generated $1.2 trillion and supported 7.6 million jobs.
1
Real
travel and tourism spending grew 3.5 percent in 2011,
2
outpacing the 1.7 percent growth rate for the
economy as a whole.
3
As a travel destination, no other nation can compete with the diversity of experiences found across
the United States and its territories, with its public lands, waters, and iconic cultural and historic sites.
In fact, the United States leads the world in revenues from international travel and tourism and ranks
second in the number of international visitors. In 2011, 62 million international visitors came to the
United States and spent a record $153 billion on U.S. travel- and tourism-related goods and services,
which are counted as U.S. exports.
4
While the United States set records for international visitation in four of the last fve years,
5
the
global travel market has become increasingly competitive. Other countries actively market
themselves, and new destinations are aggressively competing for market share. This year, the United
States will launch a promotion campaign to increase international travel to our country, through the
Corporation for Travel Promotion, doing business as Brand USA.
The U.S. government plays a unique role in creating a positive environment for private sector job
growth in the travel and tourism industry, while protecting resources, travelers, and the public.
International travelers require services when they apply for a U.S. visa, enter the country, visit
1 Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA), Ofce of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI), Fast Facts:
United States Travel and Tourism Industry, 2011, available at
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts.pdf.
2 Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), News Release, March 21, 2012, available at
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/industry/tourism/2012/pdf/tour411.pdf.
3 Department of Commerce, BEA, National Income Accounts, April 2012, available at
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/industry/gdpindustry/gdpindhighlights.pdf.
4 Travel exports represent the sum of travel and passenger fare receipts. Travel is the money spent on the purchase of goods and
services by international visitors in the United States for business or personal reasons. These goods and services include food,
lodging, recreation, gifts, entertainment, local transportation or other incidental spending. Passenger fares are the money
received by U.S. air carriers from international visitors for travel between the United States and foreign countries and the fares re-
ceived by U.S. vessel operators on cruise vessels. Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Fast Facts: United States Travel and Tourism
Industry, 2011, available at
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts.pdf.
5 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, International Visitation to the United States: A Statistical Summary of U.S. Visitation (2011)
available at http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2011_Visitation_Report.pdf.
4
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
federally managed sites, and navigate our transportation systems. The quality of these services will
enhance or detract from the image of the United States as a travel destination and impact our ability
to compete globally
This National Travel and Tourism Strategy establishes an overarching goal of increasing American
jobs by attracting and welcoming 100 million international visitors, who we estimate will spend $250
billion, annually by the end of 2021. We will also encourage Americans to travel within the United
States and its territories to see all that our country has to ofer.
The United States can achieve this goal by:
z Promoting the United States.
Federal agencies will take action to capitalize on the growing demand for travel and tourism in
the United States by creating a positive and welcoming message for international visitors. The
government will expand its promotional eforts to market the United States as a travel destination
by providing senior Administration spokespeople and content on the diversity of attractive
tourist sites within Federal jurisdiction. Using our authorities, messengers, and outlets – including
agency websites, social media tools, embassies and consulates, and high-profle ofcials – the
government will communicate the tourism opportunities in America to a larger domestic and
international audience. We will coordinate with Brand USA in its mission to promote international
travel to the United States. We will promote new opportunities to access Federal data and use
technology to enhance and tailor information for visitors to identify destinations and plan trips to
and within the United States.
z Enabling and enhancing travel and tourism to and within the United States.
Federal agencies will take specifc actions with the aim of: reducing institutional barriers to the
free fow of trade in travel services; expanding the Visa Waiver Program (VWP); enhancing U.S.
visa processing to meet the expected growth in demand; expanding trusted traveler programs
and expedited screening initiatives; and improving the processes for arrival and aviation security
screening, while ensuring the security of our borders and the safety of the traveling public.
Federal agencies will continue to innovate and make improvements in processes, technologies,
stafng, and infrastructure to streamline the visa application process and entry into the country
through border crossings and ports of entry, for legitimate travelers. Wider deployment of new
airport security screening technologies and investments in aviation infrastructure will further
improve the passenger screening and overall travel experience for domestic and international
air travelers. In addition, the government will continue to use its discretionary grant programs
to make strategic investments in transportation infrastructure to enable safer and more efcient
movement between destinations throughout the country.
z Providing world-class customer service and visitor experience.
The government will take steps to ensure a high quality experience for travelers that will inspire
repeat visitation and positive word-of-mouth advertising. The government will support workforce
development initiatives and small businesses to ensure that Federal and private sector workers
are equipped to efectively serve and maximize business opportunities with a diverse audience of
visitors. By also piloting innovative ways to use technology to provide information and interpret
content for non-English speaking visitors and taking advantage of technologies like smartphones
and translation applications, we will provide fresh, dynamic content in the most in-demand
5
EXECUTI VE SUMMARY
languages, and will be able to reassess and respond continually to new language and
information needs.
z Coordinating across government.
Federal agencies must work together and with public and private partners to maximize the
potential of travel and tourism to create jobs. The Federal government will continue to prioritize
its support for travel and tourism, and will take steps to better coordinate Federal policies
and programs by reinvigorating the Tourism Policy Council, by engaging more deliberately
with partners, and by encouraging coordinated Federal participation in public-private tourism
collaborations. In addition, the Department of Commerce will establish a national travel and
tourism ofce to provide leadership and focus within the Federal government.
z Conducting research and measuring results.
Public and private parties need up-to-date information to make smart decisions about policies
and investments. The Federal government will work with the travel and tourism industry and
academic researchers to conduct high quality research on travel and tourism issues and trends
to inform public and private decision-making. Performance metrics and accountability measures
will be used to ensure continual progress on the important goals and strategies outlined in this
National Strategy.
To ensure success, Federal agencies must continue to make travel and tourism a priority, coordinate
eforts with one another, and work with partners in a collaborative efort to meet future demand.
These eforts will signifcantly strengthen economic opportunity and job creation in the travel
and tourism industry. Upon delivery of this National Travel and Tourism Strategy, Federal agencies
will immediately begin to develop detailed implementation plans to realize the promise of these
recommendations.
6
II. Situation Analysis
Travel and Tourism and the U.S. Economy
The leisure and hospitality sector is the ffth largest employer in the United States and one of six
priority sectors likely to drive domestic employment growth over the next 10 years.
6
The leisure
and hospitality sector – which includes accommodations, food services, arts, entertainment, and
recreation – could add between 2.1 million and 3.3 million jobs during this period
7
with high
growth in consumer spending and gains in the U.S. share of global tourism. Travel and tourism is a
signifcant contributor to the leisure and hospitality sector.
8
In 2011, real travel and tourism spending (adjusted for changes in pricing) grew 3.5 percent,
9
outpacing the 1.7 percent growth rate of the economy as a whole.
10
U.S. and international travelers
spent $807 billion, generating $1.2 trillion in total economic activity and supporting 7.6 million
American jobs.
11
The United States received more than 11 percent of global spending on travel and
tourism, with 62 million international visitors who generated travel and tourism exports of $153
billion, lowering the trade defcit by $42.8 billion.
12
Business travel accounts for approximately 22 percent of overseas travel to the United States.
13
Business travelers come to the United States to participate in meetings, conventions, and trade
shows; to explore investment opportunities; and to purchase goods and services across the full
spectrum of manufacturing and service sectors.
Domestic spending on travel within the United States in 2011 was more than $654 billion. Of
the total 7.6 million jobs supported by travel and tourism, 6.5 million are supported by domestic
consumers.
14
In turn, U.S. residents spent more than $110 billion abroad in 2011 on travel and
tourism-related goods and services, an increase of 7 percent compared to 2010.
15
6 McKinsey Global Institute, “An economy that works: Job creation and America’s future”, June 2011, available at
http://www.mckinsey.com/Insights/MGI/Research/Labor_Markets/An_economy_that_works_for_US_job_creation.
7 Ibid.
8 Travel and tourism activity includes non-immigrant travel for leisure, business, education, medical, and other purposes, and
engages a range of industries from lodging, food, retail and transportation, to suppliers and support services throughout the
supply chain such as food wholesalers, construction, and others. The sector comprises large, medium, and small enterprises and is
geographically dispersed across all regions and territories.
9 Department of Commerce, BEA, News Release, March 21, 2012, available at
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/industry/tourism/2012/pdf/tour411.pdf.
10 Department of Commerce, BEA, National Income Accounts, April 2012, available at
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/industry/gdpindustry/gdpindhighlights.pdf.
11 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Fast Facts: United States Travel and Tourism Industry, 2011, available at
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts.pdf.
12 Ibid.
13 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Profle of Overseas Travelers to the United States: 2010 Inbound available at
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2010_Overseas_Visitor_Profle.pdf.
14 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Fast Facts: United States Travel and Tourism Industry, 2011, available at
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts.pdf.
15 Ibid
7
SI TUATI ON ANALYSI S
Travel and Tourism and Federal Properties
The Federal government owns and manages some of America’s most iconic symbols. From the
Statue of Liberty to the Grand Canyon, America’s public lands, waters, and destinations play an
outsized role in supporting the travel and tourism economy. Recreation in national parks, wildlife
refuges, forests, marine sanctuaries, and other federally managed lands and waters contributed
more than $62 billion and 612,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in 2010, the most recent year for which
data is available.
16
National parks and Federal lands and waters are located across the entire United States, including
many rural areas. Increasing international and domestic travel to Federal lands, waters, and
surrounding towns can help stimulate the economy and create jobs in both urban and rural
America. Each year, millions of international tourists visit U.S. public lands and small towns, spending
money at local businesses that provide lodging, dining, retail and entertainment. Rural America
plays a particularly important role in the national tourism economy by attracting and retaining
tourists for longer visits. By creating and maintaining jobs in rural America, travel and tourism can
support the work of the White House Rural Council, which was established by an Executive Order of
President Obama in June 2011, to create jobs and foster economic development in Rural America.
The International and Domestic Markets
From 2000 to 2010, the U.S. market share of spending by international travelers fell from 17 percent
to 11 percent, a more than 30 percent decrease in our share of the global market.
17
Other traditional
tourism destinations such as France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada also lost
market share during this period. Asian markets and emerging destinations like Hungary, Ukraine,
Poland, and Morocco increased their market share dramatically.
18
Many factors have contributed to the decline in U.S. market share, including the growth of intra-
regional travel (particularly in Asia), the increasing popularity and accessibility of new global
destinations, the advent of low-cost regional airlines encouraging travelers to stay closer to home,
currency fuctuations, and the absence of a national promotion strategy for the United States in
this increasingly competitive environment. Additionally, security requirements instituted in the
aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, although efective at ensuring the safety of travelers
and the nation, may have contributed to an impression among some that the United States does not
welcome international visitors.
Currently, more than 60 percent of visitors to the United States do not require a visa.
19
All other
16 Department of the Interior, 2011, The Department of the Interior’s Economic Contributions, available at
http://www.doi.gov/ppa/upload/DOI-Econ-Report-6-21-2011.pdf
and Forest Service, National Visitor Use Monitoring Results, available at
http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/nvum/nvum_national_summary_fy2009.pdf.
17 United Nations World Tourism Organization, World Trade Barometer V. 10, March 2012.
18 Ibid.
19 Eligible nationals of certain countries may travel to the United States visa free, pursuant to various statutes and regulations. For ex-
ample nationals of Canada and nationals of countries in the Visa Waiver Program, authorized under section 217 of the Immigration
and Nationality Act, do not require visas to enter the United States. The following are the 36 countries included in the Visa Waiver
Program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hun-
gary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
8
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
international travelers must obtain a visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate to travel to the United
States. Twenty-four percent to 29 percent of annual international travelers enter the United States
with multiple-entry visas issued in prior years, while approximately 11 percent must obtain
new visas.
The composition of international travelers to the United States is changing at an accelerating rate.
The number of overseas travelers from countries whose nationals require U.S. visas increased
34 percent from 2006 to 2011 and is forecasted to increase by 53 percent from 2011 to 2016.
20
By comparison over the same time periods, the number of overseas travelers from countries
whose nationals do not require visas increased only 26 percent and is forecasted to increase by
17 percent.
21
In the next fve years, countries whose nationals require visas are expected to have
the highest growth rates in travel to the United States, including China (+198 percent), Brazil (+70
percent), and Argentina (+46 percent).
Our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, currently are the top two markets for international travelers
to the United States. In 2011, 21 million Canadian nationals visited the United States, followed by
Mexico with 13 million visitors, accounting for exports of $24 billion and $9 billion, respectively.
22
Mexico represents a near-term opportunity for increasing travel to the United States because of its
growing middle class and strong cultural ties.
While in the United States, international travelers engage in a variety of activities, visiting urban
areas as well as small towns. A signifcant number of international travelers seek out nature- and
culture-based experiences, such as visiting historic sites (40 percent of overseas travelers), cultural
sites (23 percent) and national parks (20 percent).
23
One-tenth of all visitors surveyed at national
parks since 2002 were of international origin.
24
Nature-based, culture-based, heritage and outdoor adventure travel represent a signifcant
segment of the outbound tourism market as well. In 2010, more than 21 million U.S. travelers
visited other countries for leisure or to visit friends and relatives. Of these, more than one half
engaged in nature, culture or heritage tourism experiences, including visits to historic places
and cultural and ethnic heritage sites, visits to national parks, camping, hiking, and visits to
environmental or ecological sites.
25
20 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Forecast of International Travel, available at
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/f-2000-99-001/index.html.
21 Ibid.
22 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, 2011 Top 10 International Markets available at
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/pdf/2011-Top-10-Markets.pdf.
23 U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Profle of Overseas Travelers to The United States: 2010 Inbound (excluding data on
travelers from Canada and Mexico), available at
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2010_Overseas_Visitor_Profle.pdf.
24 Data from 72 visitor studies conducted between 2002 and 2011, originated from the University of Idaho Park Studies Unit, Visitor
Services Project. Database creation is supported by funding from the National Park Service, Social Science Division, and from
individual National Park Service units.
25 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Profle of U.S. Resident Travelers Visiting Overseas Destinations: 2010 Outbound,
available at http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2010_Outbound_Profle.pdf
9
SI TUATI ON ANALYSI S
The Opportunity
The United States can support economic growth and job creation by better leveraging the travel
and tourism industry. This National Strategy proposes that Federal agencies work together and with
the private sector to meet the goal of increasing American jobs by attracting and welcoming 100
million international visitors, who we estimate will spend $250 billion, annually by the end of 2021.
We will also encourage Americans to travel within the United States and its territories to see all that
our country has to ofer. This National Strategy recognizes that the role of government is to create
the conditions for growth by ensuring that government services meet demand and our resources
are protected for future generations.
Promoting the United States
A signifcant competitive advantage of the United States as a tourism destination lies in the diversity
of experiences we ofer, ranging from urban destinations and small-town America to the many
unique regional cultures found throughout the United States and its territories. Popular culture
– including music, flm and television, and theme park experiences – is also a signifcant selling
point. So too are our iconic destinations, from well-known attractions like the Statue of Liberty and
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, to of-the-beaten-path gems like Mount St. Helens’ National
Volcanic Monument and Desert National Wildlife Refuge, many of which can be found in close
proximity to major transportation gateways, including the 10 U.S. cities most visited by international
travelers.
Unlike many other nations whose governments aggressively promote travel and tourism to their
countries, the Federal government of the United States has not had a sustained international
promotion campaign since the closing of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration in 1996.
Likewise, while many state, tribal, territorial and local governments promote travel to their
respective destinations, no coordinated campaign exists to promote U.S. destinations to American
visitors, which might encourage them to travel more at home.
In part to remedy the lack of a national tourism promotion campaign, the Travel Promotion Act
of 2009
26
established the nonproft Corporation for Travel Promotion (now doing business as
Brand USA) to promote international travel and tourism to the United States.
27
Brand USA recently
launched its frst marketing efort to promote the United States in international markets, including
establishment of the DiscoverAmerica.com website. In May 2012, promotional eforts will begin in
Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan. A second wave of promotional eforts is planned for South
Korea and Brazil later this year. In the future, Brand USA plans to add campaigns in other countries,
including Australia, India, Mexico, China, Argentina, and several European countries.
Although the United States has not had a coordinated, Federal international promotion campaign,
many individual agencies and departments have provided visitor information and planning
26 Section 9 of Public Law 111-145, 22 USC 2131.
27 Brand USA is funded in part by fees collected from international visitors from visa waiver countries. From 2012 to 2015, up to $100
million per year from these fees will be disbursed to Brand USA by the Federal government, if appropriate non-Federal match-
ing contributions are obtained, both in cash and in kind (in Fiscal Year 2012, a 1:2 match of non-Federal funds to public funds is
required, after that a 1:1 match is required). After 2015, the Travel Promotion Act does not provide for federal funding of Brand
USA. The Federal government approves the annual objectives of Brand USA but has no authority to approve Brand USA’s annual
marketing plan or budget.
10
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
tools for travelers. When traveling abroad or meeting with representatives of foreign countries,
senior U.S. government ofcials and diplomatic personnel often promote the United States as a
travel destination. The Department of State’s public afairs and public diplomacy bureaus ofer
communications materials for translation and use throughout the world, multiple social media
outlets, and exchange programs with target communities. Specialists in the Department of
Commerce’s U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service’s ofces in the United States and around the world
help U.S. destinations and companies understand global markets and attract more travelers to the
United States. The Foreign Commercial Service also promotes U.S. destinations at international
travel and tourism tradeshows and furthers awareness of U.S. travel destinations with foreign
media. Additionally, Foreign Commercial Service ofces and the Department of State work closely
with American Chambers of Commerce and Visit USA Committees to promote the United States to
international visitors.
Travel agencies, Internet search tools, and airlines are important sources of trip planning information
for many international travelers. Many Federal agencies maintain websites that include trip planning
resources. Given the importance of personal computers and mobile devices for trip planning, this
area in particular is ripe for better government coordination.
Enabling and Enhancing Travel to and within the United States
By identifying and addressing institutional barriers to travel and tourism in the United States, Federal
agencies are helping to ensure the free fow of trade in travel services. Examples of restrictions in
this area include limitations by foreign governments on: airline entry, service levels, and the cities
that can be served; the sale of outbound travel and packaged group travel; the use of enabling
technologies; and the nationality of tour operators.
Recent successes by Federal agencies in removing barriers to U.S. travel include open-skies air
transport agreements (open-skies agreements) and the memoranda of understanding with China
that opened the market for the sale of group leisure travel from China to the United States. Open-
skies agreements liberalize air services between foreign countries and the United States. To date, the
United States has negotiated open-skies agreements with 105 partner countries, which gives visitors
greatly expanded travel options by allowing airlines, rather than governments, to determine where
and how often to fy. At the same time that barriers to trade in travel services are being removed,
increasing prosperity is generating additional demand.
The United States received record numbers of arrivals during four of the last fve years.
28
The U.S.
government has been challenged to meet this increased demand for services within existing
resources and legislative constraints. From interviewing visa applicants to processing travelers at
U.S. ports of entry and screening passengers in our airports, agencies are reengineering processes
and redeploying resources in new and innovative ways to ensure that we can facilitate a growing
number of travelers in such a way that enhances, not compromises, our national security.
Consular ofcers and support staf protect our borders and facilitate legitimate travel by
adjudicating millions of U.S. visa applications each year at 222 visa-processing embassies and
consulates worldwide. In FY 2011, the State Department processed 1.1 million more visa applications
28 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, International Visitation to the United States: A Statistical Summary of U.S. Visitation (2011)
available at http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2011_Visitation_Report.pdf.
11
SI TUATI ON ANALYSI S
than in the previous year.
29
More than one million visa applications were processed in China and
more than 800,000 were processed in Brazil – increases of 34 percent and 42 percent over the
previous year, respectively.
30
This growth is continuing. In the frst six months of FY 2012, the State
Department processed 46 percent more visa applications in China and 59 percent more in Brazil
than during the same time period in FY 2011.
31
Stafng increases and internal efciency measures have nearly eliminated interview backlogs in
China and have signifcantly reduced the backlog of cases in Brazil, where wait times have come
down well below the previous highs of more than 100 days, to below 10 days at many posts. Using
visa fees, the State Department is expanding interview capacity by adding new adjudication
windows in China and Brazil. The State Department is increasing visa adjudication staf by 50
percent in China and more than 100 percent in Brazil in 2012. These additional positions could
increase capacity by more than 1.5 million adjudications across the two missions.
32
The State
Department is also planning to open new consulates in Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and
to expand its post in Wuhan, China, to include visa services.
On arrival, all persons are subject to inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Ofcers
at ports of entry. CBP closely monitors wait times for international travelers and strives to process
arriving travelers, regardless of port environment, as efciently as possible while maintaining the
highest levels of security. However, since the creation of CBP in 2003, CBP’s mission requirements
have expanded to meet changing security objectives and accommodate fuctuations in global trade
and international travel. CBP faces several challenges in providing adequate stafng to meet mission
requirements, including relying on fuctuating user fee collections that are dependent on passenger
volume for more than 35 percent of the funding for its frontline CBP ofcers (CBPOs).
Despite challenges, CBP has managed to keep the wait times of 94.7 percent of arriving passengers
at the ten busiest international airports to less than one hour and has kept the national average
wait time for passenger processing in airports at 22 minutes.
33
However, limited stafng as well
as external factors – such as inclement weather or delayed fights – can lead to high peak wait
times, especially during busy summer travel months. At peak times in 2011, maximum wait
times sometimes exceeded two hours at Los Angeles International Airport and John F. Kennedy
International airport in New York City.
34
As this National Strategy is implemented and international
travel to the U.S. increases, CBP will continue to optimize resources at the ports of entry. This
includes continuing to use a workload stafng model to accurately determine stafng requirements,
29 “State Department Supports Global Travel Growth”, Department of States, available at
http://travel.state.gov/visa/questions/news/news_5609.html.
30 “State Department Deploys Additional Staf to Process Record U.S. Visa Demand”, Department of State, December 21, 2011
available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/12/179358.htm.
31 “State Department Processing Visas at Record Pace: More Visitors from China and Brazil Mean More American Jobs”,
Department of States, April 18, 2012 available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/04/188076.htm.
32 “The Growing Demand for U.S. Visas in China and Brazil”, Department of State, November 8, 2011 available at
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/11/176781.htm
33 U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Testimony of Acting Deputy Commissioner Thomas Winkowski before the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee, Subcommittee on Homeland Security, March 21, 2012, available at
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/newsroom/congressional_test/ti_testimony.ctt/ti_testimony.pdf.
34 U.S. Customs and Border Protection publishes wait times for 23 international airports online at
http://apps.cbp.gov/awt/.
12
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
seeking alternative sources of funding to fnance additional personnel, and continuing to seek
process improvements to lessen the need for additional stafng.
Investments in risk-based security programs and policies, personnel, technology and intelligence
are improving the efectiveness and efciency of the inspection process. At land borders, under the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the government has leveraged Radio Frequency Identifcation
(RFID) technology to increase the speed of database checks for passengers crossing the border. The
Model Ports program, which was designed to create a more welcoming atmosphere in our country’s
20 busiest airports, is standardizing and streamlining the entry process. The travelers processed by
CBP at these airports represent 73 percent of air travelers to the United States.
Trusted traveler programs, which currently serve 1.3 million members, allow expedited clearance
for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in and travel through the United States. As of May
2, 2012, more than 998,000 trusted travelers have Global Entry benefts, with more than 300,000
individuals directly enrolled in Global Entry. Global Entry allows travelers arriving in the United
States by air to use 166 automated kiosks at 25 airports, as well as seven pre-clearance sites. The
use of kiosks reduces average processing times to less than one minute, which is up to a 70 percent
savings in processing time. Global Entry has freed more than 42,400 inspection hours, which CBP
re-allocated to reduce regular passenger queues.
CBP continues eforts to expand enrollment in trusted traveler programs internationally by
expanding program eligibility to partner countries. Global Entry is available to U.S. citizens and U.S.
Lawful Permanent Residents, Canadian citizens and permanent residents, Dutch citizens enrolled
in the Privium program, Mexican citizens, and citizens of the United Kingdom, Germany, and Qatar
through limited pilot programs. In addition, CBP has entered into joint arrangements with South
Korea and Panama to allow their qualifying citizens and permanent residents to participate in Global
Entry. NEXUS, a trusted traveler program co-developed with Canada, provides more than 625,000
pre-approved, low-risk members with expedited CBP processing at land, maritime, and air border
crossings between the United States and Canada. Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid
Inspection (SENTRI) provides more than 148,000 approved travelers with expedited processing at
the U.S.-Mexico border. Other wait-time mitigation initiatives to help address peak arrival times and
summer trafc congestion at airports include “Express Connection” and “One-Stop.” These programs
greatly reduce missed connections, increase passenger throughput, and enhance the arrival
processing experience.
Each day the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screens about 1.7 million passengers
and their baggage before they board commercial aircraft.
35
In October 2011, TSA launched its
own expedited screening initiative called TSA Pre?™. Through this initiative, U.S. citizens who are
qualifying frequent fiers of certain commercial airlines or who are members of CBP’s trusted traveler
programs, fying domestically, may be eligible for expedited screening at select checkpoints. In
March 2012, TSA also began a pilot at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for expedited
screening of active duty members of the U.S. military. By the end of 2012, TSA plans to have
TSA Pre?™ operating at many of the nation’s busiest airports. Passengers enrolled through a
participating commercial carrier may utilize TSA Pre?™ when fying with their sponsoring air carrier,
while CBP trusted traveler members are eligible for TSA Pre?™ when fying any participating airline.
35 “What is TSA?”, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
http://www.tsa.gov/who_we_are/what_is_tsa.shtm.
13
SI TUATI ON ANALYSI S
In the fall of 2011, TSA tested and successfully implemented modifed screening procedures
for passengers age 12 and younger and, in March 2012, TSA began testing modifed screening
procedures for passengers 75 and older. With regard to wait times, passengers can currently
use the “MyTSA” mobile application for the latest information. TSA is currently testing wait time
technologies in a laboratory environment in order to identify a solution for automating the wait
time collection process.
To facilitate transportation to and within the United States, Federal agencies have worked to
improve transportation infrastructure and travel and tourism safety measures in particular. The
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has developed posters, safety pamphlets,
and audio CDs of a pre-trip safety announcement translated into six foreign languages, which
are available from its website and have been distributed to motorcoach carriers. In addition,
the FMCSA has developed safety checklists in seven foreign languages providing consumers
with information about how to choose a commercial bus company. Other programs, such as the
Federal Lands Highway Program and the Transit in the Parks Program, enable Federal, state, tribal,
and local partners to invest in transportation infrastructure to enhance tourism at Federal lands,
waters, and shores.
To improve air travel, the government has begun investing in the Next Generation Air
Transportation System, or NextGen.
36
NextGen is the improvement and modernization of the
invisible infrastructure of our national airspace. NextGen is changing the way we fy by moving
from ground-based radar to satellite technology. By creating more precise and direct routes,
NextGen will deliver more on-time and fuel-efcient fights, and continue to ensure the safest air
transportation system in the world. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) latest estimates
show that by 2020, NextGen improvements will reduce delays by 38 percent and save an
estimated 1.4 billion gallons of fuel.
37
Providing world-class customer service and visitor experience
The Federal government can infuence many variables that afect the overall quality of a visitor’s
travels in the United States. Many of our most valuable tourist destinations are managed by Federal
agencies and stafed by their employees. For instance, 21 World Heritage Sites
38
are located in the
United States. This designation is given by the United Nations Educational, Scientifc and Cultural
Organization to signify sites around the world that are of outstanding universal value to humanity.
As stewards of these valuable tourism assets, the government has a responsibility to ensure
that they are managed as world-class tourist destinations. A diverse audience of visitors expects
36 Federal Aviation Administration, NextGen Implementation Plan, March 2012, available at
http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/implementation/media/NextGen_Implementation_Plan_2012.pdf.
37 Federal Aviation Administration, NextGen Implementation Plan, March 2012, available at
http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/implementation/media/NextGen_Implementation_Plan_2012.pdf.
38 A “World Heritage Site” is a designation given by the United Nations Educational, Scientifc and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
pursuant to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This special designation is
reserved for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World
Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. World Heritage Sites include places as diverse and
unique as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand
Canyon in the USA, and the Acropolis in Greece. There are 911 natural and cultural places inscribed on the World Heritage List
to date.
14
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
positive personal interactions with staf, well-maintained facilities, and engaging and accessible
language interpretation. Federal land and water management agencies do not currently coordinate
services across agencies for international visitors. While some national parks, refuges, monuments,
seashores, marine sanctuaries, and forests ofer services tailored to international travelers – such as
visitor resources in plain English or foreign languages – most do not. The new Federal Interagency
Council on Recreation (FICOR), established under this Administration’s America’s Great Outdoors
initiative, has begun to develop coordinated strategies for improving the visitor experience at
federally-managed sites.
The quality and availability of service that travelers receive from the businesses they patronize
afects the overall visitor experience. Through varied resource partners, including its network of
Small Business Development Centers and SCORE mentors, the Small Business Administration (SBA)
counseled more than 11,000 travel- and tourism-related small businesses in FY 2011 on creating
business plans, conducting fnancial and auditing analysis, and building marketing strategies,
among other services, so that these businesses can better serve customers, grow faster and hire
more quickly. Because travel and tourism supports such a wide range of economic activity, travel
and tourism related businesses constituted almost 12 percent of SBA’s business loan guarantee
programs’ volume by dollar value in FY 2011, more than $3 billion.
39
In addition, small businesses in
travel and tourism-related industries were awarded $1.5 billion in Federal contracts in FY 2011.
40
A well-trained workforce is required to meet the needs of the travel and tourism industry. The
government has invested in a number of tools to support the public workforce system across all
major economic sectors, including travel and tourism, with a focus on promoting innovation and the
sharing of best practices. Some of the tools developed by grants focused on the hospitality sector
are available online.
41
The Federal government creates opportunities for workforce development
eforts through the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA).
42
In FY 2012, $4.8 billion was
appropriated for training and employment services to adults, displaced workers, and disadvantaged
young people across all industry sectors under Title I of WIA.
Coordinating Across Government
While the Federal government spends signifcant resources each year on programs that impact
tourism, there is currently no overarching Federal coordination of travel and tourism policies and
programs. Since the closing of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration in 1996, Federal agencies
have not undertaken a coordinated approach to promoting tourism destinations, facilitating
travel for visitors, or providing visitors with a quality experience. As a result, agencies have acted
individually, and sometimes in partnership, to address pressing issues related to travel and tourism.
In addition to individual Federal agencies, other Federal and non-Federal entities contribute
to priority-setting on matters related to travel and tourism. The Tourism Policy Council (TPC),
established by Congress to coordinate Federal policies and programs afecting travel and tourism,
39 SBA analysis of loan data from the “Executive Information System” (EIS) database.
40 SBA analysis of contracting data from the “Federal Procurement Data System – Next Generation” database.
41 Several of these tools, funded by High Growth Training grants, are available at
https://wfsolutions.workforce3one.org/ by selecting “Hospitality” under “Industry.”
42 29 U.S.C. 2801 et. seq.
15
SI TUATI ON ANALYSI S
has played a varied role over the years and has proven efective when aforded sufciently high-
level leadership. The U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and industry associations play a key role
by informing Federal agencies about issues of importance to the private sector. Brand USA markets
travel to the United States to overseas audiences. As Brand USA expands its activities, coordination
between Federal agencies and Brand USA will be important.
Conducting Research and Measuring Results
Timely and useful data are integral to the successful branding, marketing, and sustainability of
the United States as a visitor destination. While the Department of Commerce is able to provide
international visitation estimates for most states, territories, and major cities, that information often
does not cover less-traveled destinations. Metrics will need to be developed to evaluate progress on
goals delineated in this National Strategy.
16
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
III. Promoting the United States
Goal: Increase U.S. travel and tourism exports and encourage Americans to travel
within the United States and its territories.
When foreign nationals visit the United States the good and services they purchase are exports. Exports
of goods and services in connection with the travel and tourism industry totaled $153 billion in 2011,
accounting for 25 percent of services exports.
43
Increasing travel and tourism to and within the United States, requires fostering additional demand for
the product and providing travelers the information and resources they need to plan and execute their
trips. The Federal government plays a unique and essential role in promoting the American tourism
product to potential travelers. Federal employees manage iconic destinations, facilitate and regulate
travel systems, implement programs and policies that impact the travel and hospitality industry, monitor
and regulate passage across our borders, and directly serve visitors at federally owned and managed
tourist attractions. The depth and breadth of Federal engagement in travel and tourism confers on the
Federal government a special opportunity to communicate with potential visitors using a consistent
marketing message and a broad spectrum of media.
The Federal role in promoting tourism is distinct and additive to that of Brand USA, which promotes
travel and tourism to the United States by international visitors and assists the Federal government in
communicating travel requirements and policies. The Federal government can supplement Brand USA’s
eforts by using its authority, messengers, and outlets to communicate the wealth of opportunities
available to potential visitors and also how to plan a visit to our country.
Overseas travelers to the United States who visit national parks or tribal lands tend to stay longer in the
United States, to visit more destinations within the country, and are more likely to be repeat visitors to
the United States.
44
As the manager of many of these destinations, the Federal government is in a unique
position to reach these high-value customers.
The Federal government is also well positioned to provide information about our laws and policies
governing travel to the country. The perception that acquiring a U.S. visa is difcult is a barrier to
increased travel and tourism, particularly in certain key growth markets where visitors may require U.S.
visas. To combat misperceptions, the public and private sectors must work together to provide timely,
engaging, and accurate information on the visa application process for both new and returning travelers.
Once potential travelers have embraced the idea of traveling to and within the United States, they need
access to information on how to execute their trips. Although the sale and marketing of travel goods
and services is largely the domain of the private sector (e.g., travel agents, hotels, and airlines), the public
sector (e.g., recreation.gov and state and local tourism ofces) plays an important role is communicating
the diversity of travel experiences available in the United States. There are signifcant opportunities for
new and existing public-private partnerships to amplify positive messaging and to realize synergies in
43 ITA, OTTI, Fast Facts: United States Travel and Tourism Industry, 2011, available at
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts.pdf.
44 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, International Travel to the United States: Focus on National Parks & American Indian - Alaska
Native Tourism, March 2011 available at
http://www.nationalparksonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/OTTI-International-Travel-to-Native-American-Destinations.pdf.
17
PROMOT I NG T HE UNI T E D S TAT E S
our existing resource constrained environment. There is also signifcant room for improvement on the
Federal websites that provide trip planning resources to the general public.
The scope of Federal eforts to promote the United States as a destination and help visitors plan their
travel should be broad. Promotional eforts should highlight a wide variety of destinations that would
entice visitors to extend their stays, from the well-known to those of the beaten path, near major
metropolitan centers and in rural areas, in the continental United States as well as in Alaska, Hawaii, and
the territories. A number of Federal agencies can leverage existing programs and assets for promotion,
including, for example the America’s Byways® program, which showcases 150 distinct roadways that
have signifcant historical, cultural, recreational, natural, archeological, and scenic beauty and provides
themed and special interest itineraries. Amtrak also ofers promotions and contests to showcase
destinations, including national parks that are accessible by train.
Strategy 1: Provide a Welcoming Entry Experience to Foreign Visitors
Communicate through U.S. government ofcials and programs that the United States wants and
welcomes international visitors.
` Welcome Visitors and Provide Accurate Information About Ease of Travel to the United States.
Actively encourage visitors to come to the United States by communicating a welcoming message and
highlighting improvements in travel facilitation.
` Engage Government Spokespersons. Engage ofcials at the highest levels of the Federal
government, including the President of the United States and ambassadors, to communicate that
the United States wants visitors, and provide accurate information, a welcoming message and an
invitation to visit
Strategy 2: Coordinate with Brand USA and Leverage Partnerships
Coordinate with Brand USA in its mission to promote international travel to the United States. Engage
in public-private partnerships and partnerships with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to
provide promotional content and in-kind support, as well as to leverage resources for international and
domestic marketing eforts.
` Coordinate with Brand USA. Coordinate Federal promotion eforts with Brand USA’s marketing
campaign, which will target our neighbors, Canada and Mexico; visa waiver countries, including
Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom; and fast-growing economies
such as Brazil, China, and India. Provide information to Brand USA in support of its marketing and
communication programs and activities.
` Partner with private sector entities. Coordinate promotional eforts with the travel and tourism
industry. Use new and existing agreements to conduct joint promotions that match the unique assets
and messengers of the Federal government with the resources and expertise of travel and tourism
businesses.
` Partner with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. Join non-Federal tourism authorities
in place-based and activity-based promotional campaigns. Provide grants and technical assistance to
qualifed public sector entities to support their eforts to attract and serve additional visitors.
18
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
Strategy 3: Enhance Federal Promotional Eforts
Attract new international visitors, particularly from visa waiver countries and from fast-growing
economies like Brazil and China, and our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, as well as encourage more
Americans to vacation within the United States.
` Coordinate Interagency Promotion. Establish a unifed Federal promotion efort in the
international marketplace to encourage travel and tourism. Coordinate agency promotional eforts
and use personnel and programs to amplify the message. Coordinate travel policy communications
as well as marketing messages and programs, including tradeshows, familiarization tours, itineraries,
and materials.
` Provide Information About Destinations We Manage. Increase exposure by travelers and potential
tourists to travel and tourism promotion materials for federally-managed destinations. Cross promote
American cities, parks, museums, and other points of interest. Develop and promote itineraries
designed to appeal to visitors with interest in certain subjects, activities, historic events, or anchored
by well-known and popular destinations.
Strategy 4: Provide User-Friendly Planning Tools and Resources
Provide coordinated trip-planning information for end users, as well as portable data that partners can
use to develop their own travel planning tools.
` Update Data. . Ensure data on federally-managed websites is comprehensive, reliable, and accessible
to individual visitors and to application and program developers. Fully utilize existing databases to
connect potential visitors with the range of sites, experiences, and resources available to travelers
` Improve Tools. Standardize and improve trip planning sites operated by Federal agencies such as
www.recreation.gov and www.amtraktoparks.com. Use pilots to explore cost-efective options for
providing planning materials and tools in multiple languages.
` Identify Future Opportunities. Use market research conducted by Brand USA and the Department
of Commerce to analyze the demand among potential travelers for new or improved trip planning
tools. Develop focused plans for development of new tools based on this analysis.
19
E NABL I NG AND E NHANCI NG T RAVE L AND TOURI S M TO AND WI T HI N T HE UNI T E D S TAT E S
IV. Enabling and Enhancing Travel and
Tourism to and Within the United States
Goal 2: Reduce barriers to trade and make it safer and more efcient for visitors to
enter and travel within the United States and its territories.
The Federal government plays a primary role in addressing institutional barriers to international trade,
including those impacting the travel and tourism industry. While travel and tourism is among the
most liberalized sectors, some barriers to trade in travel and tourism services remain. For example,
restrictions on airline entry, service levels, and the cities that can be served; the sale of outbound travel
and packaged group travel; the use of enabling technologies; and the nationality of tour operators. To
support growth in trade in the travel and tourism industry, the Federal government should expand its
eforts at working with foreign governments to identify and lower barriers to trade in travel services,
including working towards incremental liberalization of aviation services and additional open-skies
agreements and exploring cooperation agreements to increase travel fows.
The government is responsible for safeguarding the country from security threats while efciently
processing all persons seeking to travel to the United States. The Federal government strives to
provide all qualifed visa applicants with an experience that promotes a positive image of the United
States without compromising security. To achieve this, the Department of State has increased stafng,
expanded facilities, improved efciency, extended visa interviewing hours at our busiest posts, adopted
streamlined application processes for many leisure and business travelers who previously qualifed
for visas, and is implementing a Global Support Strategy (GSS).
45
GSS frees up consular staf time and
facilities for interviews by shifting non-adjudication services out of our visa waiting rooms. In high-
volume locations such as Mexico and Brazil, GSS provides of-site biometric (fngerprint and photograph)
collection, freeing up window space for interviews at our embassies and consulates. In lower-volume
locations, GSS provides consistent support services, including management and reporting tools that can
be accessed by consular sections and in Washington, which allows embassies and consulates to better
manage interview appointments and backlogs. By May 2012, 59 percent of the world will be covered
by GSS.
The government can apply the lessons learned from the sharp rise in demand for visa services in China
and Brazil to other instances where anticipated economic growth will spur signifcant demand for
nonimmigrant visa services. New policies and initiatives designed to provide qualifed visa applicants
with a positive experience, without compromising border security, will enable the government to keep
pace with the expected growth in demand for visas.
The Federal ofcers who secure our nation’s borders while facilitating the movement of legitimate travel
and trade through our ports of entry have a unique opportunity to create a positive frst impression of
the United States, while maintaining the highest standards of security. The government is working to
improve the arrival experience for passengers traveling to the United States through training, processing
45 GSS replaces the current patchwork of contractor provided visa support services at embassies and consulates (e.g., call centers,
appointment scheduling, and document delivery) with a single contract and comprehensive process for managing the logistical
arrangements that precede the actual adjudication process, allowing the Department of State’s Consular Afairs to increase per-
ofcer visa adjudications without adding staf.
20
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
enhancements, automation, wait times measurement and posting, and the use of innovative technology.
For example, the Federal government has established the Model Ports program to pilot best practices
for creating a welcoming atmosphere in our country’s 20 busiest ports of entry, which receive 73 percent
of air travelers to the United States. A traveler satisfaction survey at the Model Ports was deployed in
November 2011 to assess passenger satisfaction at the Model Ports. The results were released in early
May 2012. Nearly 90 percent of travelers surveyed agreed that CBP ofcers were welcoming and that
their processing time was either short or reasonable.
46
Through the introduction of risk-based security programs and policies, and by leveraging the latest
technologies and intelligence, the Federal government can focus its eforts on those passengers
who are unknown or who are higher risk, thereby enhancing the travel experience for known and
trusted travelers. Passenger processing involves many layers, both seen and unseen, and the Federal
government has developed partnerships with local airport authorities, airlines, and the private sector
to continuously assess and resolve challenges in aviation security operations. One way to streamline
passenger processing and reduce wait times is to process expeditiously low-risk travelers, which frees
resources to focus on remaining travelers. For example, the TSA’s new expedited screening initiative,
TSA Pre?™ allows TSA to focus more attention on travelers about whom we know less, while providing
expedited screening, and perhaps a better travel experience, for those travelers about whom we know
more. In order to prevent potential terrorists from exploiting the system, TSA will always incorporate
random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no individual will be
guaranteed expedited screening. Another example of a risk-based security program is CBP’s Global
Entry program, an efort through which qualifed travelers provide more information to enroll, thereby
allowing CBP ofcers to focus resources on screening other passengers.
A safe and reliable domestic transportation infrastructure allows U.S. citizens to travel within our country
and connects international visitors to the many wonderful destinations located away from major ports
of entry. To accommodate growing demand by domestic and international travelers, our transportation
infrastructure must provide consistent and dependable service, minimize cost and energy consumption,
and be safe, efcient, environmentally friendly, and resilient. In support of these objectives, the
Department of Transportation has helped fund a number of initiatives, including infrastructure projects
at key land border crossings and an ongoing efort to upgrade our air travel system to FAA’s NextGen
satellite-based technology. NextGen will yield improvements in safety, fuel economy and on-time
performance, resulting in millions of dollars in expected savings through efciency by the year 2020.
47
As the nation expands opportunities for travel and tourism, and energy prices potentially increase,
pedestrian, multimodal, and mass-transit options will become even more important for travel and
tourism. Federal grant programs and discretionary funds support the development of pedestrian
and bicycle networks, streetcars, airport-downtown rail extensions, alternative transportation, and
enhanced multimodal connections in cities and towns, on Federal and tribal lands and America’s
Byways®. Infrastructure improvements directed at local residents and commuters, as well as those that
provide access to rural areas, also enable travelers to visit less-prominent areas and to utilize alternative
transportation modes.
46 “International Traveler Satisfaction Overview” U.S. Customs and Border Protection, May 2, 2012, available at
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/customerservice/mp_welcome/intl_travel_survey.xml
47 Federal Aviation Administration, NextGen Implementation Plan, March 2012, available at
http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/implementation/media/NextGen_Implementation_Plan_2012.pdf.
21
E NABL I NG AND E NHANCI NG T RAVE L AND TOURI S M TO AND WI T HI N T HE UNI T E D S TAT E S
Strategy 1: Lower Barriers to Trade in Travel Services
and Increase Travel Flows
` Continue aviation liberalization. Continue open-skies outreach to additional aviation partners
beyond our current 105 open-skies partners, including working towards open-skies agreements /
incremental liberalization with key remaining countries.
` Identify Impediments to Growth in Key Markets. Coordinate with the private sector to identify and
address challenges to the free fow of trade in travel and tourism services.
` Engage with International Partners. Enter into cooperative agreements with governments in key
markets to promote travel fows.
Strategy 2: Streamline the Visa Application Process
` Implement recommendations contained in the report of the Departments of State and
Homeland Security to the President. In response to the President’s call for innovative strategies to
welcome more visitors to the United States without compromising border security, the Departments
of State and Homeland Security submitted a report to the President in March 2012 outlining ways to
further streamline visa and foreign visitor processing. Portions of this plan are summarized below.
? Increase stafng capacity at the highest priority posts. Reallocate resources to provide
temporary support to visa adjudicating posts in Brazil and China; double the number of visa
adjudicating positions in Brazil and China by the end of FY 2012; and increase the number of
consular adjudicators with Portuguese and Chinese language ability.
? Explore and implement internal programs to increase efciency. Expand interviewing hours in
China and Brazil; implement the Global Support Strategy (GSS) in Brazil; prepare to implement parts
of the GSS in China; continue to refne GSS action plans to manage increases in demand over the
long term; and incorporate visitor arrival projection data into visa demand projections for planning
capacity improvements.
? Pursue streamlined programs for low-risk applicants. Allow certain categories of low-risk
travelers to renew visas without interviews for up to four years after the prior visa’s expiration,
where the consular ofcer deems it appropriate; and waive interviews for qualifed Brazilian
nationals under age 16 and 66 years of age and older.
? Expand existing facilities and consider additional visa-processing facilities in China and
Brazil. Continue expansion projects in China and Brazil, including the opening of two new
consulates in Brazil and expanding our presence in Wuhan, China.
? Increase eforts to expand the Visa Waiver Program and travel by nationals of VWP countries.
Continue to work with international partners such as Taiwan to meet VWP eligibility requirement;
support congressional eforts that seek to appropriately and securely expand VWP; and support
interagency eforts to increase travel by nationals of VWP countries.
` Leverage private and Federal channels to educate foreign publics. Explore the possibilities for
public-private partnerships with Brand USA and other travel and tourism private sector stakeholders to
create materials to provide timely, engaging, and accurate information on the visa application process
to potential visitors and continue consular staf outreach programs with host country nationals.
22
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
Strategy 3: Improve Customer Service at Ports of Entry
` Expand Trusted Traveler Enrollment. Increase enrollment in NEXUS, SENTRI, and Global Entry,
which frees CBP resources to manage other travelers. Continue to work with external partners to
expand trusted traveler programs.
` Deploy Technology. Continue deployment of advanced technology at land borders to facilitate
efcient processing and complete the deployment of Ready Lanes for travelers with RFID-enabled
documents, LED Signage, and AM radio transmitters. Deploy, subject to funding availability, additional
pedestrian Ready Lane kiosks. Increase the use of RFID-enabled travel documents to signifcantly
reduce inspection time at the northern and southwest land borders to improve processing capacity
and accuracy of identity verifcation, as well as reduce wait times.
` Re-Engineer Processes. Improve the way processing takes place in all inspection environments,
and make continual assessments for process improvement. New technology, as well as improved
programming and policies, such as initiatives that allow travelers to move more quickly through
screening areas or prioritize passengers with urgent connections, can be developed, where port
facilities allow, to enhance efcient and secure processing.
` Prioritize Customer Service. Work internally to continue to maximize available resources to achieve
greater efciency while improving the overall traveler experience. Continue to make customer service
at the ports of entry a priority, using the results of traveler satisfaction surveys and other data.
` Leverage Partnerships. Develop and use partnerships with airlines, airports, travel and tourism
industry representatives, and other travel stakeholders to continuously assess and tackle shared
challenges and opportunities.
Strategy 4: Enhance Passenger Screening
` Expand expedited screening initiative. Expand TSA Pre?™ to additional airlines, airports, and
populations of known travelers. By the end of 2012, TSA plans to have TSA Pre?™ operating at many of
the nation’s busiest airports.
` Develop and Use Risk-Based Approach. Focus resources and improve the passenger experience
at security checkpoints by applying new intelligence-driven, risk-based screening procedures and
enhancing use of technology. Strengthen partnership and communication with the travel and tourism
industry, the traveling public and other key stakeholders to better develop, implement, and assess new
initiatives, programs, and technologies.
23
E NABL I NG AND E NHANCI NG T RAVE L AND TOURI S M TO AND WI T HI N T HE UNI T E D S TAT E S
Strategy 5: Maintain and Improve Transportation Infrastructure
` Initiate Pilot Aviation Cooperation Program. Expand the Department of Transportation’s
work with the European Union and China to implement the recommendations of the Secretary of
Transportation’s Future of Aviation Advisory Committee, which support the development of air
transportation service options to and from the United States.
` Invest in infrastructure. Continue eforts to improve transportation and Land Port of Entry
infrastructure related to U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico border crossings. Implement on-going and
new, as budget allows, U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico border crossing infrastructure projects, including
projects to improve inspection plazas, roads, bridges, tunnels, and ferries.
` Update air systems and infrastructure. Improve the condition of the nation’s air transportation
infrastructure through implementation of NextGen and other programs. Support the International Civil
Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) eforts to reduce barriers to international air travel and to maintain the
efcient functioning of the international aviation system, including harmonization of NextGen, as well
as eforts to enhance international security standards.
` Connect visitors to iconic and of-the-beaten-path destinations. Enable travelers to see America’s
special places that are of the beaten path through programs that increase access and awareness,
such as America’s Byways®, the Federal Lands Highway Program, the Transit in Parks Program, and the
Recreation Trails Program, and increase the availability of multimodal mass-transit options to these
destinations.
24
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
V. Providing World-Class Customer
Service and Visitor Experience
Goal: Provide a high-quality visitor experience for U.S. and international visitors to
achieve high customer satisfaction and inspire repeat visits.
The Federal government can use its resources to ensure that we meet a high standard of customer
service and provide memorable visitor experiences that will generate new and repeat visitation. In the
most direct manner, we have the opportunity at our federally-managed sites to actually serve as hosts
to our guests. The Federal government also infuences the service provided by travel and hospitality
businesses by ofering incentives and programs to help train the private workforce, and by providing
special assistance to small businesses in the sector.
When travelers visit a federally-managed site – such as a national park, refuge, marine sanctuary, or
forest – the U.S. government gains a unique opportunity to create an unforgettable experience. The
reputation of our staf at our sites is stellar; park rangers are among America’s most recognizable and
beloved public fgures. From guided hikes to emergency response, the Federal servants who interact
with the public are on the front lines of the customer service experience. The challenge for Federal
agencies is to provide information and services to a wide variety of visitors from across the country
and the world. Successful visitor services at America’s destinations utilize up-to-date research about
visitor behavior and preferences to facilitate a positive experience by providing services, assistance,
information, educational opportunities, and advice, but also the space and freedom to allow visitors
the opportunity to discover and be inspired.
Certain challenges at times threaten the ability of Federal agencies to deliver on this promise. A
mismatch between visitor volume and service capacity can be difcult to navigate. The diversity of
visitors – in terms of language, age, and interests – adds to this challenge. Many units are limited in
the use of new media to communicate with visitors, and are less able to serve diverse visitors using
a static inventory of paper maps and brochures. Isolation is another challenge; visitors would beneft
from greater collaboration among Federal units and gateway communities to design and cross-
promote complimentary experiences and itineraries. Visitation must also be managed responsibly to
avoid degrading the world-class resources visitors expect to see and experience. Many national parks
and Federal lands and waters are in rural areas. Increasing both international and domestic travel to
Federal lands and surrounding small towns can help stimulate the economy and create jobs in rural
America.
At all tourist destinations, whether managed by the Federal government or the private sector, the
quality of a visitor’s experience depends largely on the “front line” customer-facing workers who
engage tourists from arrival to departure. A skilled tourism and hospitality workforce is therefore
essential to a robust travel and tourism industry. The Federal government can and has played an
important role in supporting the private sector’s eforts to ensure that workers in the travel and
tourism industry are skilled and competent to do the job.
25
PROVI DI NG WORLD- CLASS CUSTOMER SERVI CE AND VI SI TOR EXPERI ENCE
The Federal government creates opportunities for workforce development eforts through the
Workforce Investment Act (WIA).
48
In FY 2012, $4.8 billion was appropriated under Title I of WIA for
job training and employment services to adults, displaced workers, and disadvantaged young people
across all industry sectors. WIA funds are administered in all 50 states and U.S. territories by state
and local workforce investment boards. Strong industry and business partnerships with workforce
investment boards are an important means through which Federal investment supports a skilled travel
and tourism workforce.
The travel and tourism industry varies greatly by locality and workers are needed in a wide range of
sectors including lodging, food service, transportation, recreation, and arts and entertainment. A top-
down approach to workforce development is, therefore, unlikely to succeed. Our experience shows
that the most successful strategy is for state and local workforce investment boards to work closely
with existing tourism boards and local leaders in education, labor, and community organizations to
examine workforce needs and develop plans to meet them. For example, the Napa Valley, California,
workforce investment board sponsored a comprehensive hospitality and tourism workforce
gap analysis with several local partners, leading to recommendations ranging from combating
misperceptions about hospitality careers to postsecondary vocational training and skill-based
certifcations.
Federal tools such as online collaborative workspaces and competency models have also been
widely utilized to promote this kind of dialogue at the local level, helping to focus the agenda for all
stakeholders. Competency models are defned sets of skills and abilities required to perform most
common entry-level jobs in an identifed sector. The models are created through a process sponsored
by the Department of Labor and ratifed by industry leaders. Secondary and post-secondary schools
can then develop certifcate programs designed to teach these skills and employers can accept the
certifcates from these programs as evidence of work readiness.
Federal information resources, like the dedicated hospitality industry page at www.workforce3one.
org, assist workforce professionals, employers, and educators in sharing knowledge and tools to
support the employment needs of the industry. Using these tools and resources, local and regional
partnerships can produce the workforce needed to support a healthy travel and tourism economy and
provide travelers a high-quality visitor experience.
The estimated 28 million small businesses in America, representing more than 99 percent of all frms and
employing half of the private sector workforce, create two of three net new American jobs.
49
In the travel
and tourism industry, these businesses include travel agencies, tour operators, convention and visitors
bureaus, casinos, lodging providers, Federal concessionaires, outftters, and guides. Through the Small
Business Administration, the Federal government helps these businesses grow and provide high quality
goods and services to their customers. SBA grants and programs, and its partnerships with states,
municipalities, and industry and trade associations, help businesses create business plans, conduct
fnancial and auditing analysis and build marketing strategies, among other things.
48 29 U.S.C. 2801 et. seq.
49 “Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business,” Ofce of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration, January 2011,
available at: http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/fles/sbfaq.pdf.
26
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
Strategy 1: Improve Visitor Services at Federally-Managed Sites
Exceed visitor expectations for service and information, provide information about available experiences
including lesser-known destinations, facilitate visitation via cross-promotion and collaboration, and cater
to a wide variety of visitors.
` Showcase the American Experience. Develop additional tourism circuits near top destinations
to encourage travelers to expand their itineraries to lesser-known destinations, to beneft gateway
communities and add valuable vacation days. Existing pilot eforts include:
? Las Vegas: Las Vegas is one of the top destinations in the United States for international travelers.
By working with tour companies and other vendors, we can market itineraries that entice visitors
to venture out of the city and explore the spectacular surrounding natural areas such as Red Rock
Canyon National Conservation Area, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon
National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Death Valley National Park, and Zion National
Park.
? Miami: Miami is one of the biggest destinations in the United States for South American tourists.
Suggested itineraries for these travelers include opportunities to explore the “original Miami”
through the sawgrass of Everglades National Park and wildlife and beaches beyond the city in
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Biscayne National Park, and Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary.
? San Francisco: Visitors to the City by the Bay already fock to the Golden Gate Bridge, but just
beyond the bridge awaits the world’s tallest trees at Muir Woods National Monument, the Pacifc
Flyway with hundreds of bird species at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge, one of the
most beautiful shorelines in California at Point Reyes National Seashore, and myriad marine mammals
at Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Also of interest are the national historic and scenic
trails in the Eldorado National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
` Serve diverse audiences. Provide information and interpretation in plain English and foreign
languages. Create volunteer “ambassadors” at popular parks and monuments to provide a more
personalized experience for international travelers. Expand the use of new technology and new media
to provide customized visitor information for diferent cultures, ages, languages and interests, and to
decrease the demands on staf at overburdened sites and times.
` Improve access. Complete strategic road upgrades and reconstruction, public transit development
and multi-modal connections, land and easement acquisition, and improved access to information
about opportunities for recreational, historical, and cultural experiences. Streamline permitting
processes for camping or outftting in similar geographic locations.
` Promote regional tourism. Develop community-based tourism collaborations in key strategic
destination markets, especially those with scenic byways, coastal resources, national scenic and
historic trails, wild and scenic rivers, and other natural and cultural attractions. Partner with local
communities and engage with tribes to promote tourism and provide cultural experiences where
welcomed and in a manner sensitive to cultural traditions and benefcial to the communities visited.
27
PROVI DI NG WORLD- CLASS CUSTOMER SERVI CE AND VI SI TOR EXPERI ENCE
Strategy 2: Foster a Skilled Hospitality and Tourism Industry Workforce
Develop and utilize messaging to communicate that the United States welcomes visitors to experience
our diversity of world-class destinations, to attract new international visitors particularly from visa waiver
countries and from fast growing economies like Brazil and China, as well as to encourage more Americans
to vacation within the United States.
` Utilize competency models. Engage with industry leaders to amplify the existing hospitality industry
competency model, and to develop appropriate new competency models related to the travel and
tourism industry. Identify cross-sector and unique competencies required for car rental agencies, tour
operators, e-travel site operators, and other travel and tourism sectors.
` Partner with the private sector. Encourage workforce investment boards to strengthen partnerships
with travel and tourism businesses and convene the business community in their respective regional
markets to assess workforce issues. Cross-train private sector hospitality and Federal recreation and
visitor services workforces through collaborative curriculum development and delivery.
` Create space to collaborate. Assist workforce professionals, employers, and educators in sharing
knowledge and tools to support the employment needs of the industry. Use technology and new
media to foster information sharing, dialogue and partnership.
` Promote the Summer Jobs+ Initiative. Target tourism-related businesses to join the 2012 efort
to provide 250,000 youth with summer job experiences, including paid positions, internships, and
mentoring/shadowing opportunities.
Strategy 3: Support Small Business in Travel and Tourism
Develop and coordinate a targeted approach at the Federal level to support small- and medium-sized
travel and tourism businesses.
` Expand outreach and education. Use Federal websites, email and social media to educate small
businesses on how they can prepare for, and make the most of, the upcoming tourist season. Provide
entrepreneurs with the information needed to start a travel and tourism business, including key
business opportunities in in-demand travel sectors, how to write a business plan, and information
on how to access fnancing. Widely distribute information on Federal programs, from counseling to
CAPLines, a credit program designed to help businesses cope with seasonality. Share content and seek
options for deliberated, focused engagement with other Federal agencies and tourism promotion
organizations, including Federal land and water managers and the American Indian Alaska Native
Tourism Association (AIANTA).
` Promote existing small businesses. Partner with travel and tourism associations to increase
awareness of the small businesses in their communities and encourage tour operators to include stops
at local, small businesses.
` Create co-marketing campaigns. Develop co-marketing campaigns with those businesses that are
licensed to provide recreation and tourism services on Federal lands, waters, and shores.
` Increase counseling and mentorship. Help small travel businesses gain the confdence to withstand
seasonality and demand volatility so they can grow and hire. Develop a targeted plan to strengthen
counseling opportunities for tourism small businesses through SBA’s broad network of 1,000+ Small
Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Women Business Centers (WBCs). Utilize counselors and
mentors to help build awareness of the tourism initiative in their respective locality.
` Expand access to capital. Work with SBA’s 5,000 lending partners and more than 190 small business
investment companies (SBICs) to specifcally target outreach to travel and tourism small businesses, so
they understand the various traditional and patient capital options SBA’s partners ofer.
28
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
VI. Coordinating Across Government
Goal: Prioritize and coordinate support for travel and tourism across
the Federal government.
Successful implementation of the National Travel and Tourism Strategy will require sustained, high-level
commitment throughout Federal agencies, which in turn will depend on continued recognition of
travel and tourism as a priority for the Federal government. Similarly, private sector participation in and
evaluation of these policies, programs, and initiatives is critical to their success.
The United States does not have an entity that is recognized by industry and across the Federal
government as the primary Federal policymaker on travel and tourism related matters. Rather these
responsibilities have been dispersed across multiple agencies, including the Ofce of Travel and Tourism
Industries in the International Trade Administration and the interagency Tourism Policy Council (TPC)
chaired by the Secretary of Commerce. As a result, although the Federal government spends signifcant
resources each year on programs that impact tourism, we have lacked a coordinating body to prioritize
and develop a more favorable environment for travel and tourism.
In addition to better coordination within the Federal government, we need to better coordinate
with the private sector and state, territorial, tribal, and local governments. In many cases, the private
sector and these non-Federal government bodies have resources to promote their destinations both
internationally and domestically. In addition, many state, territorial, tribal, and local governments have
regulatory authorities and existing programs to promote tourism within their respective jurisdictions.
Better communication and the dissemination of best practices throughout all levels of government and
the private sector will strengthen tourism development across the country.
Agencies should focus resources in areas of common interest and emphasize linkages among resources
and connections to a larger American story, such as with itineraries and geographic mapping eforts.
As demand for new and diferent experiences emerges, tribal, regional, state, territory, and local eforts
can be encouraged and supported in partnership with the private sector, focusing on helping locations
provide a quality experience, tell an authentic American story, and capitalize on the number of existing
designations in the Federal arsenal, from America’s Byways® to Preserve America. The United States
has no shortage of compelling destinations available to promote, many of which are operated by the
Federal government. These destinations are complemented by a variety of locations managed by tribal,
state, territory and local governments, as well as the private sector.
The travel and tourism industry can be particularly challenged during market crises, which may result
from natural disasters, pandemics, acts of terrorism, and other threats. Economies facing such crises
often have difculty assisting with the recovery of their local travel and tourism sectors. Federal
assistance may be useful during these times, in particular to combat the negative perceptions of an area
during and following the crisis. Internal coordination by Federal agencies and with the private sector
throughout the crisis and recovery phases may be critical to a prompt and full recovery.
29
COORDI NAT I NG ACROS S GOVE RNME NT
Strategy 1: Establish Travel and Tourism as a U.S. Government Priority
Institute a formal and inclusive leadership structure for travel and tourism within government and to
coordinate with Federal agencies to efectively implement the National Travel and Tourism Strategy,
consistent with Executive Order 13597.
` Reinvigorate the Tourism Policy Council. Commit to high-level representation by each member
agency, organize working groups aligned with this National Travel and Tourism Strategy, and meet
regularly to identify and address barriers to progress and coordinate eforts.
` Create a national travel and tourism ofce at the Department of Commerce. Serve as the primary
point of contact for travel and tourism issues within the Federal government and at the national
level, represent the United States on travel and tourism issues internationally, and provide day-to-day
support needed to implement the National Travel and Tourism Strategy.
` Conduct outreach with public and private partners. Hold a summit on travel and tourism, and an
annual travel and tourism event to foster communication among Federal agencies and leaders of state
travel ofces, destination management organizations, and trade associations.
` Study and implement best practices. Engage Federal agencies in dialogue with other countries on
best practices in travel and tourism.
Strategy 2: Support Tourism Development
Focus resources on expanding the travel and tourism industry throughout the United States while
ensuring the stock of national and cultural resources is adequately protected and understood in the
context of a uniquely American experience.
` Coordinate and Publish Datasets. Improve the presentation of data by providing efective
geo-tourism information and map products across jurisdictions.
` Engage the Public. Involve residents as stewards and ambassadors in preserving, developing,
promoting and managing tourism resources as a source of community pride and
economic empowerment.
30
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
VII. Conducting Research
and Measuring Results
Goal: Collect and analyze data to support decision-making in the public and private
sectors and allow the Federal government to better measure the efectiveness
of its eforts to increase travel and tourism.
Product development, marketing strategies, investment plans, transportation planning, and
competitiveness tracking all require good data and information. Data on visitors’ origins, profles,
activities, motivators, states and cities visited, length of stay, and spending patterns can help with
the successful branding, marketing, and sustainability of the United States as a visitor destination.
Information on travel and tourism is the basis of sound policy and informs business decisions. Strategic
planning for and performance measurement of the travel and tourism industry depends on the
availability, validity, consistency, and reliability of statistics and information.
The Department of Commerce is able to provide international visitation estimates for 20 states and cities
based on the current sample size of the Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT). The data does not
efectively cover less-travelled destinations. Most states and cities do not have international research
programs or a way to track volume and traveler characteristics data on their own. Data from two credit
card companies is being used by select destinations to provide international traveler data, but with
more than 50 percent of spending by international travelers transacted with cash, the use of credit card
data has signifcant limitations.
Several longstanding issues hinder the U.S. Government’s ability to provide the level of research the
industry requires and to meet the mandates of the Travel Promotion Act (TPA).
50
z Data on the international market currently is limited. The Department of Commerce’s statistical
system is built around the Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT), which currently reaches a sample
of only 0.2 percent. This is less than the 1 percent sample size mandated by the TPA. Commerce
supplements the SIAT with data provided by the Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of
Economic Analysis, along with data from the Canadian and Mexican governments. The Department of
Transportation has data on international arrivals and departures, but that information includes both
U.S. citizens and international visitors and cannot be disaggregated.
z Domestic travel volume estimates and traveler characteristics data are not available. The Federal
government’s eforts related to in domestic travel and tourism research are focused on sector-specifc
types of research like national parks, arts and culture, and transportation.
z National level data exists for 25 sectors (e.g., lodging, restaurants, car rental, and transportation) but
does not contain regional, state, or city impact estimates for domestic and international spending and
employment.
50 The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (PL 111-145) mandates DOC from FY2011 to FY2015 to:
• Expand the number of inbound air travelers sampled by the Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT);
• Revise the design and format of SIAT questionnaires;
• At least double the number of states and cities with reliable international visitor and export value estimates; and
• Improve market coverage.
31
COORDI NAT I NG ACROS S GOVE RNME NT
Strategy 1: Conduct Research
Work with the travel and tourism industry to collect and analyze data to support decision-making in the
public and private sectors and allow the Federal government to better measure the efectiveness of its
eforts to increase travel and tourism.
` Identify data needs. Develop an inventory of available research and identify existing data gaps.
` Partner to fll data gaps. Utilize available Federal and private sector research resources and work
cooperatively with the private sector to address identifed gaps. The Department of Commerce will
seek to develop a public/private partnership program to support government research initiatives,
strategic planning eforts and private sector promotion eforts.
` Leverage data with other resources. Use secondary data including travel industry data, government
data, credit card data, and aviation data.
` Collect, analyze and disseminate data. Work with the travel and tourism industry to collect, analyze
and disseminate the data.
` Develop visitor information at Federal sites. Develop methodology to provide data to guide
management of Federal sites that will help ensure visitor safety and satisfaction. As part of that
methodology, collect data on visitor trip planning habits to inform Federal eforts to develop trip
planning tools and resources.
Strategy 2: Monitor and Evaluate Results
Develop metrics to evaluate progress on goals in this National Travel and Tourism Strategy.
` Develop metrics. Identify key performance metrics to measure progress of this National Travel
and Tourism Strategy.
` Measure progress. Collect and analyze data and report progress on an annual basis.
` Analyze results to improve performance. Use metrics to identify issues needing corrective action.
32
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
VIII. Conclusion
Travel and tourism is an important driver of the U.S. economy, with high potential to support job
creation across the nation. In a globalized economy, travel and tourism policies afect a broad range
of business interests, including those beyond the travel and tourism industry.
The President has elevated the promotion of travel and tourism as a top job creating priority for the
United States government. In this spirit, we will implement this National Travel and Tourism Strategy
and immediately begin developing detailed plans to realize the promise of the policies, actions, and
recommendations contained herein. To ensure the full attention of agency leadership, the Tourism
Policy Council will coordinate implementation of this National Strategy consistent with Executive
Order 13597 and the creation of metrics against which to measure progress.
With the active participation of the highest levels of the Administration, agencies will coordinate
eforts and work with private sector partners and State, local, tribal, and territorial governments in
a collaborative efort to realize growth in the travel and tourism industry. These eforts will support
economic opportunity and job creation in the United States.
GOAL S AND STRATEGI ES WI TH L EAD AGENCI ES
I nc r eas e U. S. t r avel and t our i s m expor t s and encour age Amer i c ans t o t r avel
wi t hi n t he Uni t ed St at es and i t s t er r i t or i es .
Pr ovi de a Wel comi ng Ent r y Ex per i ence
t o For ei gn Vi s i t or s
Depar t ment of St at e
Depar t mment of Homel and Sec ur i t y
Depar t ment of Commer ce
Coor di nat e wi t h Br and USA
and Lever age Par t ner s hi ps
Depar t ment of Commer ce
Enhance Feder al Pr omot i onal Ef f or t s
Depar t ment of Commer ce
Depar t ment of t he I nt er i or
Pr ovi de Us er - Fr i endl y Pl anni ng Tool s
and Res our ces
Depar t ment of t he Agr i c ul t ur e
Depar t ment of t he I nt er i or
Reduce bar r i er s t o t r ade and make i t s af er and mor e ef f i c i ent f or vi s i t or s t o ent er
and t r avel wi t hi n t he Uni t ed St at es and i t s t er r i t or i es .
Lower Bar r i er s t o Tr ade i n Tr avel Ser vi ces and
I nc r eas e Tr avel Fl ows
Depar t ment of Commer ce
The Of f i ce of t he U. S. Tr ade Repr es ent at i ve
St r eaml i ne t he Vi s a Appl i c at i on Pr oces s
The Depar t ment of St at e
The Depar t ment of Homel and Sec ur i t y
Ex pand t he Vi s a Appl i c at i on Pr oces s
The Depar t ment of St at e
The Depar t ment of Homel and Sec ur i t y
I mpr ove Cus t omer Ser vi ce at Por t s of Ent r y Depar t mment of Homel and Sec ur i t y
Enhance Ai r por t Sc r eeni ng Depar t mment of Homel and Sec ur i t y
Mai nt ai n and I mpr ove
Tr ans por t at i on I nf r as t r uc t ur e
Depar t mment of Tr ans por t at i on
Pr ovi de a hi gh qual i t y vi s i t or exper i ence f or U. S. and i nt er nat i onal vi s i t or s t o ac hi eve
hi gh c us t omer s at i s f ac t i on and i ns pi r e r epeat vi s i t s .
I mpr ove Vi s i t or Ser vi ces at
Feder al l y- Managed Si t es
The Depar t ment of t he I nt er i or
Depar t ment of t he Agr i c ul t ur e
Depar t ment of Def ens e /
Ar my Cor ps of Engi neer s
The Depar t ment of Commer ce /
Nat i onal Oceani c and
At mos pher i c Admi ni s t r at i on
Fos t er a Sk i l l ed Hos pi t al i t y and Tour i s m
I ndus t r y Wor kf or ce
The Depar t ment of Labor
Suppor t Smal l Bus i nes s i n Tr avel and Tour i s m Smal l Bus i nes s Admi ni s t r at i on
Pr i or i t i ze and coor di nat e s uppor t f or t r avel and t our i s m ac r os s t he Feder al gover nment .
Emphas i z e Tr avel and Tour i s m as
a U. S. Gover nment Pr i or i t y
The Depar t ment of Commer ce
Depar t ment of t he I nt er i or
Suppor t Tour i s m Devel opment
Depar t ment of Tr ans por t at i on
Depar t ment of t he I nt er i or
Col l ec t and anal yze dat a t o s uppor t dec i s i on- mak i ng i n t he publ i c and pr i vat e s ec t or s
and al l ow t he Feder al gover nment t o bet t er meas ur e t he ef f ec t i venes s of i t s ef f or t s t o
i nc r eas e t r avel and t our i s m.
Conduc t Res ear c h The Depar t ment of Commer ce
Moni t or and Eval uat e Res ul t s The Depar t ment of Commer ce
doc_200896990.pdf
Travel.and.tourism.are.critical.to.the.American.economy..This.growing.industry.offers.significant.
potential.for.job.creation.across.all.regions.of.the.country..Federal.policies.on.matters.ranging.from.
national.security.to.transportation.and.from.trade.to.natural.resources.management.affect.travel.
and.tourism,.and.its.potential.for.growth..In.a.global.economy,.a.range.of.businesses.depend.on.
travel.and.tourism.policies.to.enable.clients,.customers,.and.colleagues.to.conduct.business.in.the.
United.States..In.addition,.ensuring.that.international.visitors.have.a.positive.experience.in.America.
is.an.essential.component.of.our.public.diplomacy.and.U.S..foreign.policy..
2012
National Travel
& Tourism Strategy
Task Force on Travel & Competitiveness
Contents
I. Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................................. 3
II. Situation Analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 6
III. Promoting the United States ..........................................................................................................................16
IV. Enabling and Enhancing Travel and Tourism to and within the United States .........................19
V. Providing World-Class Customer Service and Visitor Experience ...................................................24
VI. Coordinating across Government ................................................................................................................28
VII. Conducting Research and Measuring Results .........................................................................................30
VIII. Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................................................32
1
John Bryson, Secretary of Commerce
Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior
On behalf of the Task Force on Travel
Competitiveness
Introduction
Letter to the President from
Co-Chairs of the Task Force
on Travel and Competitiveness
Dear Mr. President:
On January 19, 2012, you signed an Executive Order establishing a new Task Force on Travel
and Competitiveness, which you charged with developing a National Travel and Tourism
Strategy. As co-chairs of the Task Force, we have worked to develop the attached set of
policies, actions, and recommendations to promote domestic and international travel
throughout the United States, and each agency that you called on in your Executive Order
has developed straightforward, common-sense approaches to reducing barriers, creating
opportunities, and improving customer service.
The Task Force’s comprehensive government-wide strategy will encourage travelers to
choose America as the world’s premier tourism destination. It will better facilitate entering
into and traveling across the United States, and foster greater cooperation with the private
sector to provide a world-class U.S. travel experience that will encourage visitors to extend
their stays and return to see more.
Our goal is simple yet bold: increase American jobs by attracting and welcoming 100 million
international visitors, who we estimate will spend $250 billion, annually by the end of 2021.
We will also encourage Americans to travel within the United States and its territories to see
all that our country has to ofer.
Thank you for the opportunity to chair this Task Force. We are energized that you have
challenged us to do more and to do better. The promise of meaningful job creation is
within our reach, and we are already working together to achieve the goals outlined in this
National Strategy.
2
3
EXECUTI VE SUMMARY
I. Executive Summary
Travel and tourism are critical to the American economy. This growing industry ofers signifcant
potential for job creation across all regions of the country. Federal policies on matters ranging from
national security to transportation and from trade to natural resources management afect travel
and tourism, and its potential for growth. In a global economy, a range of businesses depend on
travel and tourism policies to enable clients, customers, and colleagues to conduct business in the
United States. In addition, ensuring that international visitors have a positive experience in America
is an essential component of our public diplomacy and U.S. foreign policy.
In 2011, the travel and tourism industry generated $1.2 trillion and supported 7.6 million jobs.
1
Real
travel and tourism spending grew 3.5 percent in 2011,
2
outpacing the 1.7 percent growth rate for the
economy as a whole.
3
As a travel destination, no other nation can compete with the diversity of experiences found across
the United States and its territories, with its public lands, waters, and iconic cultural and historic sites.
In fact, the United States leads the world in revenues from international travel and tourism and ranks
second in the number of international visitors. In 2011, 62 million international visitors came to the
United States and spent a record $153 billion on U.S. travel- and tourism-related goods and services,
which are counted as U.S. exports.
4
While the United States set records for international visitation in four of the last fve years,
5
the
global travel market has become increasingly competitive. Other countries actively market
themselves, and new destinations are aggressively competing for market share. This year, the United
States will launch a promotion campaign to increase international travel to our country, through the
Corporation for Travel Promotion, doing business as Brand USA.
The U.S. government plays a unique role in creating a positive environment for private sector job
growth in the travel and tourism industry, while protecting resources, travelers, and the public.
International travelers require services when they apply for a U.S. visa, enter the country, visit
1 Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA), Ofce of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI), Fast Facts:
United States Travel and Tourism Industry, 2011, available at
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts.pdf.
2 Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), News Release, March 21, 2012, available at
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/industry/tourism/2012/pdf/tour411.pdf.
3 Department of Commerce, BEA, National Income Accounts, April 2012, available at
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/industry/gdpindustry/gdpindhighlights.pdf.
4 Travel exports represent the sum of travel and passenger fare receipts. Travel is the money spent on the purchase of goods and
services by international visitors in the United States for business or personal reasons. These goods and services include food,
lodging, recreation, gifts, entertainment, local transportation or other incidental spending. Passenger fares are the money
received by U.S. air carriers from international visitors for travel between the United States and foreign countries and the fares re-
ceived by U.S. vessel operators on cruise vessels. Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Fast Facts: United States Travel and Tourism
Industry, 2011, available at
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts.pdf.
5 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, International Visitation to the United States: A Statistical Summary of U.S. Visitation (2011)
available at http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2011_Visitation_Report.pdf.
4
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
federally managed sites, and navigate our transportation systems. The quality of these services will
enhance or detract from the image of the United States as a travel destination and impact our ability
to compete globally
This National Travel and Tourism Strategy establishes an overarching goal of increasing American
jobs by attracting and welcoming 100 million international visitors, who we estimate will spend $250
billion, annually by the end of 2021. We will also encourage Americans to travel within the United
States and its territories to see all that our country has to ofer.
The United States can achieve this goal by:
z Promoting the United States.
Federal agencies will take action to capitalize on the growing demand for travel and tourism in
the United States by creating a positive and welcoming message for international visitors. The
government will expand its promotional eforts to market the United States as a travel destination
by providing senior Administration spokespeople and content on the diversity of attractive
tourist sites within Federal jurisdiction. Using our authorities, messengers, and outlets – including
agency websites, social media tools, embassies and consulates, and high-profle ofcials – the
government will communicate the tourism opportunities in America to a larger domestic and
international audience. We will coordinate with Brand USA in its mission to promote international
travel to the United States. We will promote new opportunities to access Federal data and use
technology to enhance and tailor information for visitors to identify destinations and plan trips to
and within the United States.
z Enabling and enhancing travel and tourism to and within the United States.
Federal agencies will take specifc actions with the aim of: reducing institutional barriers to the
free fow of trade in travel services; expanding the Visa Waiver Program (VWP); enhancing U.S.
visa processing to meet the expected growth in demand; expanding trusted traveler programs
and expedited screening initiatives; and improving the processes for arrival and aviation security
screening, while ensuring the security of our borders and the safety of the traveling public.
Federal agencies will continue to innovate and make improvements in processes, technologies,
stafng, and infrastructure to streamline the visa application process and entry into the country
through border crossings and ports of entry, for legitimate travelers. Wider deployment of new
airport security screening technologies and investments in aviation infrastructure will further
improve the passenger screening and overall travel experience for domestic and international
air travelers. In addition, the government will continue to use its discretionary grant programs
to make strategic investments in transportation infrastructure to enable safer and more efcient
movement between destinations throughout the country.
z Providing world-class customer service and visitor experience.
The government will take steps to ensure a high quality experience for travelers that will inspire
repeat visitation and positive word-of-mouth advertising. The government will support workforce
development initiatives and small businesses to ensure that Federal and private sector workers
are equipped to efectively serve and maximize business opportunities with a diverse audience of
visitors. By also piloting innovative ways to use technology to provide information and interpret
content for non-English speaking visitors and taking advantage of technologies like smartphones
and translation applications, we will provide fresh, dynamic content in the most in-demand
5
EXECUTI VE SUMMARY
languages, and will be able to reassess and respond continually to new language and
information needs.
z Coordinating across government.
Federal agencies must work together and with public and private partners to maximize the
potential of travel and tourism to create jobs. The Federal government will continue to prioritize
its support for travel and tourism, and will take steps to better coordinate Federal policies
and programs by reinvigorating the Tourism Policy Council, by engaging more deliberately
with partners, and by encouraging coordinated Federal participation in public-private tourism
collaborations. In addition, the Department of Commerce will establish a national travel and
tourism ofce to provide leadership and focus within the Federal government.
z Conducting research and measuring results.
Public and private parties need up-to-date information to make smart decisions about policies
and investments. The Federal government will work with the travel and tourism industry and
academic researchers to conduct high quality research on travel and tourism issues and trends
to inform public and private decision-making. Performance metrics and accountability measures
will be used to ensure continual progress on the important goals and strategies outlined in this
National Strategy.
To ensure success, Federal agencies must continue to make travel and tourism a priority, coordinate
eforts with one another, and work with partners in a collaborative efort to meet future demand.
These eforts will signifcantly strengthen economic opportunity and job creation in the travel
and tourism industry. Upon delivery of this National Travel and Tourism Strategy, Federal agencies
will immediately begin to develop detailed implementation plans to realize the promise of these
recommendations.
6
II. Situation Analysis
Travel and Tourism and the U.S. Economy
The leisure and hospitality sector is the ffth largest employer in the United States and one of six
priority sectors likely to drive domestic employment growth over the next 10 years.
6
The leisure
and hospitality sector – which includes accommodations, food services, arts, entertainment, and
recreation – could add between 2.1 million and 3.3 million jobs during this period
7
with high
growth in consumer spending and gains in the U.S. share of global tourism. Travel and tourism is a
signifcant contributor to the leisure and hospitality sector.
8
In 2011, real travel and tourism spending (adjusted for changes in pricing) grew 3.5 percent,
9
outpacing the 1.7 percent growth rate of the economy as a whole.
10
U.S. and international travelers
spent $807 billion, generating $1.2 trillion in total economic activity and supporting 7.6 million
American jobs.
11
The United States received more than 11 percent of global spending on travel and
tourism, with 62 million international visitors who generated travel and tourism exports of $153
billion, lowering the trade defcit by $42.8 billion.
12
Business travel accounts for approximately 22 percent of overseas travel to the United States.
13
Business travelers come to the United States to participate in meetings, conventions, and trade
shows; to explore investment opportunities; and to purchase goods and services across the full
spectrum of manufacturing and service sectors.
Domestic spending on travel within the United States in 2011 was more than $654 billion. Of
the total 7.6 million jobs supported by travel and tourism, 6.5 million are supported by domestic
consumers.
14
In turn, U.S. residents spent more than $110 billion abroad in 2011 on travel and
tourism-related goods and services, an increase of 7 percent compared to 2010.
15
6 McKinsey Global Institute, “An economy that works: Job creation and America’s future”, June 2011, available at
http://www.mckinsey.com/Insights/MGI/Research/Labor_Markets/An_economy_that_works_for_US_job_creation.
7 Ibid.
8 Travel and tourism activity includes non-immigrant travel for leisure, business, education, medical, and other purposes, and
engages a range of industries from lodging, food, retail and transportation, to suppliers and support services throughout the
supply chain such as food wholesalers, construction, and others. The sector comprises large, medium, and small enterprises and is
geographically dispersed across all regions and territories.
9 Department of Commerce, BEA, News Release, March 21, 2012, available at
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/industry/tourism/2012/pdf/tour411.pdf.
10 Department of Commerce, BEA, National Income Accounts, April 2012, available at
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/industry/gdpindustry/gdpindhighlights.pdf.
11 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Fast Facts: United States Travel and Tourism Industry, 2011, available at
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts.pdf.
12 Ibid.
13 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Profle of Overseas Travelers to the United States: 2010 Inbound available at
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2010_Overseas_Visitor_Profle.pdf.
14 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Fast Facts: United States Travel and Tourism Industry, 2011, available at
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts.pdf.
15 Ibid
7
SI TUATI ON ANALYSI S
Travel and Tourism and Federal Properties
The Federal government owns and manages some of America’s most iconic symbols. From the
Statue of Liberty to the Grand Canyon, America’s public lands, waters, and destinations play an
outsized role in supporting the travel and tourism economy. Recreation in national parks, wildlife
refuges, forests, marine sanctuaries, and other federally managed lands and waters contributed
more than $62 billion and 612,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in 2010, the most recent year for which
data is available.
16
National parks and Federal lands and waters are located across the entire United States, including
many rural areas. Increasing international and domestic travel to Federal lands, waters, and
surrounding towns can help stimulate the economy and create jobs in both urban and rural
America. Each year, millions of international tourists visit U.S. public lands and small towns, spending
money at local businesses that provide lodging, dining, retail and entertainment. Rural America
plays a particularly important role in the national tourism economy by attracting and retaining
tourists for longer visits. By creating and maintaining jobs in rural America, travel and tourism can
support the work of the White House Rural Council, which was established by an Executive Order of
President Obama in June 2011, to create jobs and foster economic development in Rural America.
The International and Domestic Markets
From 2000 to 2010, the U.S. market share of spending by international travelers fell from 17 percent
to 11 percent, a more than 30 percent decrease in our share of the global market.
17
Other traditional
tourism destinations such as France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada also lost
market share during this period. Asian markets and emerging destinations like Hungary, Ukraine,
Poland, and Morocco increased their market share dramatically.
18
Many factors have contributed to the decline in U.S. market share, including the growth of intra-
regional travel (particularly in Asia), the increasing popularity and accessibility of new global
destinations, the advent of low-cost regional airlines encouraging travelers to stay closer to home,
currency fuctuations, and the absence of a national promotion strategy for the United States in
this increasingly competitive environment. Additionally, security requirements instituted in the
aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, although efective at ensuring the safety of travelers
and the nation, may have contributed to an impression among some that the United States does not
welcome international visitors.
Currently, more than 60 percent of visitors to the United States do not require a visa.
19
All other
16 Department of the Interior, 2011, The Department of the Interior’s Economic Contributions, available at
http://www.doi.gov/ppa/upload/DOI-Econ-Report-6-21-2011.pdf
and Forest Service, National Visitor Use Monitoring Results, available at
http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/nvum/nvum_national_summary_fy2009.pdf.
17 United Nations World Tourism Organization, World Trade Barometer V. 10, March 2012.
18 Ibid.
19 Eligible nationals of certain countries may travel to the United States visa free, pursuant to various statutes and regulations. For ex-
ample nationals of Canada and nationals of countries in the Visa Waiver Program, authorized under section 217 of the Immigration
and Nationality Act, do not require visas to enter the United States. The following are the 36 countries included in the Visa Waiver
Program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hun-
gary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
8
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
international travelers must obtain a visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate to travel to the United
States. Twenty-four percent to 29 percent of annual international travelers enter the United States
with multiple-entry visas issued in prior years, while approximately 11 percent must obtain
new visas.
The composition of international travelers to the United States is changing at an accelerating rate.
The number of overseas travelers from countries whose nationals require U.S. visas increased
34 percent from 2006 to 2011 and is forecasted to increase by 53 percent from 2011 to 2016.
20
By comparison over the same time periods, the number of overseas travelers from countries
whose nationals do not require visas increased only 26 percent and is forecasted to increase by
17 percent.
21
In the next fve years, countries whose nationals require visas are expected to have
the highest growth rates in travel to the United States, including China (+198 percent), Brazil (+70
percent), and Argentina (+46 percent).
Our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, currently are the top two markets for international travelers
to the United States. In 2011, 21 million Canadian nationals visited the United States, followed by
Mexico with 13 million visitors, accounting for exports of $24 billion and $9 billion, respectively.
22
Mexico represents a near-term opportunity for increasing travel to the United States because of its
growing middle class and strong cultural ties.
While in the United States, international travelers engage in a variety of activities, visiting urban
areas as well as small towns. A signifcant number of international travelers seek out nature- and
culture-based experiences, such as visiting historic sites (40 percent of overseas travelers), cultural
sites (23 percent) and national parks (20 percent).
23
One-tenth of all visitors surveyed at national
parks since 2002 were of international origin.
24
Nature-based, culture-based, heritage and outdoor adventure travel represent a signifcant
segment of the outbound tourism market as well. In 2010, more than 21 million U.S. travelers
visited other countries for leisure or to visit friends and relatives. Of these, more than one half
engaged in nature, culture or heritage tourism experiences, including visits to historic places
and cultural and ethnic heritage sites, visits to national parks, camping, hiking, and visits to
environmental or ecological sites.
25
20 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Forecast of International Travel, available at
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/f-2000-99-001/index.html.
21 Ibid.
22 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, 2011 Top 10 International Markets available at
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/pdf/2011-Top-10-Markets.pdf.
23 U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Profle of Overseas Travelers to The United States: 2010 Inbound (excluding data on
travelers from Canada and Mexico), available at
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2010_Overseas_Visitor_Profle.pdf.
24 Data from 72 visitor studies conducted between 2002 and 2011, originated from the University of Idaho Park Studies Unit, Visitor
Services Project. Database creation is supported by funding from the National Park Service, Social Science Division, and from
individual National Park Service units.
25 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, Profle of U.S. Resident Travelers Visiting Overseas Destinations: 2010 Outbound,
available at http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2010_Outbound_Profle.pdf
9
SI TUATI ON ANALYSI S
The Opportunity
The United States can support economic growth and job creation by better leveraging the travel
and tourism industry. This National Strategy proposes that Federal agencies work together and with
the private sector to meet the goal of increasing American jobs by attracting and welcoming 100
million international visitors, who we estimate will spend $250 billion, annually by the end of 2021.
We will also encourage Americans to travel within the United States and its territories to see all that
our country has to ofer. This National Strategy recognizes that the role of government is to create
the conditions for growth by ensuring that government services meet demand and our resources
are protected for future generations.
Promoting the United States
A signifcant competitive advantage of the United States as a tourism destination lies in the diversity
of experiences we ofer, ranging from urban destinations and small-town America to the many
unique regional cultures found throughout the United States and its territories. Popular culture
– including music, flm and television, and theme park experiences – is also a signifcant selling
point. So too are our iconic destinations, from well-known attractions like the Statue of Liberty and
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, to of-the-beaten-path gems like Mount St. Helens’ National
Volcanic Monument and Desert National Wildlife Refuge, many of which can be found in close
proximity to major transportation gateways, including the 10 U.S. cities most visited by international
travelers.
Unlike many other nations whose governments aggressively promote travel and tourism to their
countries, the Federal government of the United States has not had a sustained international
promotion campaign since the closing of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration in 1996.
Likewise, while many state, tribal, territorial and local governments promote travel to their
respective destinations, no coordinated campaign exists to promote U.S. destinations to American
visitors, which might encourage them to travel more at home.
In part to remedy the lack of a national tourism promotion campaign, the Travel Promotion Act
of 2009
26
established the nonproft Corporation for Travel Promotion (now doing business as
Brand USA) to promote international travel and tourism to the United States.
27
Brand USA recently
launched its frst marketing efort to promote the United States in international markets, including
establishment of the DiscoverAmerica.com website. In May 2012, promotional eforts will begin in
Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan. A second wave of promotional eforts is planned for South
Korea and Brazil later this year. In the future, Brand USA plans to add campaigns in other countries,
including Australia, India, Mexico, China, Argentina, and several European countries.
Although the United States has not had a coordinated, Federal international promotion campaign,
many individual agencies and departments have provided visitor information and planning
26 Section 9 of Public Law 111-145, 22 USC 2131.
27 Brand USA is funded in part by fees collected from international visitors from visa waiver countries. From 2012 to 2015, up to $100
million per year from these fees will be disbursed to Brand USA by the Federal government, if appropriate non-Federal match-
ing contributions are obtained, both in cash and in kind (in Fiscal Year 2012, a 1:2 match of non-Federal funds to public funds is
required, after that a 1:1 match is required). After 2015, the Travel Promotion Act does not provide for federal funding of Brand
USA. The Federal government approves the annual objectives of Brand USA but has no authority to approve Brand USA’s annual
marketing plan or budget.
10
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
tools for travelers. When traveling abroad or meeting with representatives of foreign countries,
senior U.S. government ofcials and diplomatic personnel often promote the United States as a
travel destination. The Department of State’s public afairs and public diplomacy bureaus ofer
communications materials for translation and use throughout the world, multiple social media
outlets, and exchange programs with target communities. Specialists in the Department of
Commerce’s U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service’s ofces in the United States and around the world
help U.S. destinations and companies understand global markets and attract more travelers to the
United States. The Foreign Commercial Service also promotes U.S. destinations at international
travel and tourism tradeshows and furthers awareness of U.S. travel destinations with foreign
media. Additionally, Foreign Commercial Service ofces and the Department of State work closely
with American Chambers of Commerce and Visit USA Committees to promote the United States to
international visitors.
Travel agencies, Internet search tools, and airlines are important sources of trip planning information
for many international travelers. Many Federal agencies maintain websites that include trip planning
resources. Given the importance of personal computers and mobile devices for trip planning, this
area in particular is ripe for better government coordination.
Enabling and Enhancing Travel to and within the United States
By identifying and addressing institutional barriers to travel and tourism in the United States, Federal
agencies are helping to ensure the free fow of trade in travel services. Examples of restrictions in
this area include limitations by foreign governments on: airline entry, service levels, and the cities
that can be served; the sale of outbound travel and packaged group travel; the use of enabling
technologies; and the nationality of tour operators.
Recent successes by Federal agencies in removing barriers to U.S. travel include open-skies air
transport agreements (open-skies agreements) and the memoranda of understanding with China
that opened the market for the sale of group leisure travel from China to the United States. Open-
skies agreements liberalize air services between foreign countries and the United States. To date, the
United States has negotiated open-skies agreements with 105 partner countries, which gives visitors
greatly expanded travel options by allowing airlines, rather than governments, to determine where
and how often to fy. At the same time that barriers to trade in travel services are being removed,
increasing prosperity is generating additional demand.
The United States received record numbers of arrivals during four of the last fve years.
28
The U.S.
government has been challenged to meet this increased demand for services within existing
resources and legislative constraints. From interviewing visa applicants to processing travelers at
U.S. ports of entry and screening passengers in our airports, agencies are reengineering processes
and redeploying resources in new and innovative ways to ensure that we can facilitate a growing
number of travelers in such a way that enhances, not compromises, our national security.
Consular ofcers and support staf protect our borders and facilitate legitimate travel by
adjudicating millions of U.S. visa applications each year at 222 visa-processing embassies and
consulates worldwide. In FY 2011, the State Department processed 1.1 million more visa applications
28 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, International Visitation to the United States: A Statistical Summary of U.S. Visitation (2011)
available at http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2011_Visitation_Report.pdf.
11
SI TUATI ON ANALYSI S
than in the previous year.
29
More than one million visa applications were processed in China and
more than 800,000 were processed in Brazil – increases of 34 percent and 42 percent over the
previous year, respectively.
30
This growth is continuing. In the frst six months of FY 2012, the State
Department processed 46 percent more visa applications in China and 59 percent more in Brazil
than during the same time period in FY 2011.
31
Stafng increases and internal efciency measures have nearly eliminated interview backlogs in
China and have signifcantly reduced the backlog of cases in Brazil, where wait times have come
down well below the previous highs of more than 100 days, to below 10 days at many posts. Using
visa fees, the State Department is expanding interview capacity by adding new adjudication
windows in China and Brazil. The State Department is increasing visa adjudication staf by 50
percent in China and more than 100 percent in Brazil in 2012. These additional positions could
increase capacity by more than 1.5 million adjudications across the two missions.
32
The State
Department is also planning to open new consulates in Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and
to expand its post in Wuhan, China, to include visa services.
On arrival, all persons are subject to inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Ofcers
at ports of entry. CBP closely monitors wait times for international travelers and strives to process
arriving travelers, regardless of port environment, as efciently as possible while maintaining the
highest levels of security. However, since the creation of CBP in 2003, CBP’s mission requirements
have expanded to meet changing security objectives and accommodate fuctuations in global trade
and international travel. CBP faces several challenges in providing adequate stafng to meet mission
requirements, including relying on fuctuating user fee collections that are dependent on passenger
volume for more than 35 percent of the funding for its frontline CBP ofcers (CBPOs).
Despite challenges, CBP has managed to keep the wait times of 94.7 percent of arriving passengers
at the ten busiest international airports to less than one hour and has kept the national average
wait time for passenger processing in airports at 22 minutes.
33
However, limited stafng as well
as external factors – such as inclement weather or delayed fights – can lead to high peak wait
times, especially during busy summer travel months. At peak times in 2011, maximum wait
times sometimes exceeded two hours at Los Angeles International Airport and John F. Kennedy
International airport in New York City.
34
As this National Strategy is implemented and international
travel to the U.S. increases, CBP will continue to optimize resources at the ports of entry. This
includes continuing to use a workload stafng model to accurately determine stafng requirements,
29 “State Department Supports Global Travel Growth”, Department of States, available at
http://travel.state.gov/visa/questions/news/news_5609.html.
30 “State Department Deploys Additional Staf to Process Record U.S. Visa Demand”, Department of State, December 21, 2011
available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/12/179358.htm.
31 “State Department Processing Visas at Record Pace: More Visitors from China and Brazil Mean More American Jobs”,
Department of States, April 18, 2012 available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/04/188076.htm.
32 “The Growing Demand for U.S. Visas in China and Brazil”, Department of State, November 8, 2011 available at
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/11/176781.htm
33 U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Testimony of Acting Deputy Commissioner Thomas Winkowski before the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee, Subcommittee on Homeland Security, March 21, 2012, available at
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/newsroom/congressional_test/ti_testimony.ctt/ti_testimony.pdf.
34 U.S. Customs and Border Protection publishes wait times for 23 international airports online at
http://apps.cbp.gov/awt/.
12
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
seeking alternative sources of funding to fnance additional personnel, and continuing to seek
process improvements to lessen the need for additional stafng.
Investments in risk-based security programs and policies, personnel, technology and intelligence
are improving the efectiveness and efciency of the inspection process. At land borders, under the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the government has leveraged Radio Frequency Identifcation
(RFID) technology to increase the speed of database checks for passengers crossing the border. The
Model Ports program, which was designed to create a more welcoming atmosphere in our country’s
20 busiest airports, is standardizing and streamlining the entry process. The travelers processed by
CBP at these airports represent 73 percent of air travelers to the United States.
Trusted traveler programs, which currently serve 1.3 million members, allow expedited clearance
for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in and travel through the United States. As of May
2, 2012, more than 998,000 trusted travelers have Global Entry benefts, with more than 300,000
individuals directly enrolled in Global Entry. Global Entry allows travelers arriving in the United
States by air to use 166 automated kiosks at 25 airports, as well as seven pre-clearance sites. The
use of kiosks reduces average processing times to less than one minute, which is up to a 70 percent
savings in processing time. Global Entry has freed more than 42,400 inspection hours, which CBP
re-allocated to reduce regular passenger queues.
CBP continues eforts to expand enrollment in trusted traveler programs internationally by
expanding program eligibility to partner countries. Global Entry is available to U.S. citizens and U.S.
Lawful Permanent Residents, Canadian citizens and permanent residents, Dutch citizens enrolled
in the Privium program, Mexican citizens, and citizens of the United Kingdom, Germany, and Qatar
through limited pilot programs. In addition, CBP has entered into joint arrangements with South
Korea and Panama to allow their qualifying citizens and permanent residents to participate in Global
Entry. NEXUS, a trusted traveler program co-developed with Canada, provides more than 625,000
pre-approved, low-risk members with expedited CBP processing at land, maritime, and air border
crossings between the United States and Canada. Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid
Inspection (SENTRI) provides more than 148,000 approved travelers with expedited processing at
the U.S.-Mexico border. Other wait-time mitigation initiatives to help address peak arrival times and
summer trafc congestion at airports include “Express Connection” and “One-Stop.” These programs
greatly reduce missed connections, increase passenger throughput, and enhance the arrival
processing experience.
Each day the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screens about 1.7 million passengers
and their baggage before they board commercial aircraft.
35
In October 2011, TSA launched its
own expedited screening initiative called TSA Pre?™. Through this initiative, U.S. citizens who are
qualifying frequent fiers of certain commercial airlines or who are members of CBP’s trusted traveler
programs, fying domestically, may be eligible for expedited screening at select checkpoints. In
March 2012, TSA also began a pilot at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for expedited
screening of active duty members of the U.S. military. By the end of 2012, TSA plans to have
TSA Pre?™ operating at many of the nation’s busiest airports. Passengers enrolled through a
participating commercial carrier may utilize TSA Pre?™ when fying with their sponsoring air carrier,
while CBP trusted traveler members are eligible for TSA Pre?™ when fying any participating airline.
35 “What is TSA?”, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
http://www.tsa.gov/who_we_are/what_is_tsa.shtm.
13
SI TUATI ON ANALYSI S
In the fall of 2011, TSA tested and successfully implemented modifed screening procedures
for passengers age 12 and younger and, in March 2012, TSA began testing modifed screening
procedures for passengers 75 and older. With regard to wait times, passengers can currently
use the “MyTSA” mobile application for the latest information. TSA is currently testing wait time
technologies in a laboratory environment in order to identify a solution for automating the wait
time collection process.
To facilitate transportation to and within the United States, Federal agencies have worked to
improve transportation infrastructure and travel and tourism safety measures in particular. The
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has developed posters, safety pamphlets,
and audio CDs of a pre-trip safety announcement translated into six foreign languages, which
are available from its website and have been distributed to motorcoach carriers. In addition,
the FMCSA has developed safety checklists in seven foreign languages providing consumers
with information about how to choose a commercial bus company. Other programs, such as the
Federal Lands Highway Program and the Transit in the Parks Program, enable Federal, state, tribal,
and local partners to invest in transportation infrastructure to enhance tourism at Federal lands,
waters, and shores.
To improve air travel, the government has begun investing in the Next Generation Air
Transportation System, or NextGen.
36
NextGen is the improvement and modernization of the
invisible infrastructure of our national airspace. NextGen is changing the way we fy by moving
from ground-based radar to satellite technology. By creating more precise and direct routes,
NextGen will deliver more on-time and fuel-efcient fights, and continue to ensure the safest air
transportation system in the world. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) latest estimates
show that by 2020, NextGen improvements will reduce delays by 38 percent and save an
estimated 1.4 billion gallons of fuel.
37
Providing world-class customer service and visitor experience
The Federal government can infuence many variables that afect the overall quality of a visitor’s
travels in the United States. Many of our most valuable tourist destinations are managed by Federal
agencies and stafed by their employees. For instance, 21 World Heritage Sites
38
are located in the
United States. This designation is given by the United Nations Educational, Scientifc and Cultural
Organization to signify sites around the world that are of outstanding universal value to humanity.
As stewards of these valuable tourism assets, the government has a responsibility to ensure
that they are managed as world-class tourist destinations. A diverse audience of visitors expects
36 Federal Aviation Administration, NextGen Implementation Plan, March 2012, available at
http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/implementation/media/NextGen_Implementation_Plan_2012.pdf.
37 Federal Aviation Administration, NextGen Implementation Plan, March 2012, available at
http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/implementation/media/NextGen_Implementation_Plan_2012.pdf.
38 A “World Heritage Site” is a designation given by the United Nations Educational, Scientifc and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
pursuant to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This special designation is
reserved for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World
Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. World Heritage Sites include places as diverse and
unique as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand
Canyon in the USA, and the Acropolis in Greece. There are 911 natural and cultural places inscribed on the World Heritage List
to date.
14
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
positive personal interactions with staf, well-maintained facilities, and engaging and accessible
language interpretation. Federal land and water management agencies do not currently coordinate
services across agencies for international visitors. While some national parks, refuges, monuments,
seashores, marine sanctuaries, and forests ofer services tailored to international travelers – such as
visitor resources in plain English or foreign languages – most do not. The new Federal Interagency
Council on Recreation (FICOR), established under this Administration’s America’s Great Outdoors
initiative, has begun to develop coordinated strategies for improving the visitor experience at
federally-managed sites.
The quality and availability of service that travelers receive from the businesses they patronize
afects the overall visitor experience. Through varied resource partners, including its network of
Small Business Development Centers and SCORE mentors, the Small Business Administration (SBA)
counseled more than 11,000 travel- and tourism-related small businesses in FY 2011 on creating
business plans, conducting fnancial and auditing analysis, and building marketing strategies,
among other services, so that these businesses can better serve customers, grow faster and hire
more quickly. Because travel and tourism supports such a wide range of economic activity, travel
and tourism related businesses constituted almost 12 percent of SBA’s business loan guarantee
programs’ volume by dollar value in FY 2011, more than $3 billion.
39
In addition, small businesses in
travel and tourism-related industries were awarded $1.5 billion in Federal contracts in FY 2011.
40
A well-trained workforce is required to meet the needs of the travel and tourism industry. The
government has invested in a number of tools to support the public workforce system across all
major economic sectors, including travel and tourism, with a focus on promoting innovation and the
sharing of best practices. Some of the tools developed by grants focused on the hospitality sector
are available online.
41
The Federal government creates opportunities for workforce development
eforts through the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA).
42
In FY 2012, $4.8 billion was
appropriated for training and employment services to adults, displaced workers, and disadvantaged
young people across all industry sectors under Title I of WIA.
Coordinating Across Government
While the Federal government spends signifcant resources each year on programs that impact
tourism, there is currently no overarching Federal coordination of travel and tourism policies and
programs. Since the closing of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration in 1996, Federal agencies
have not undertaken a coordinated approach to promoting tourism destinations, facilitating
travel for visitors, or providing visitors with a quality experience. As a result, agencies have acted
individually, and sometimes in partnership, to address pressing issues related to travel and tourism.
In addition to individual Federal agencies, other Federal and non-Federal entities contribute
to priority-setting on matters related to travel and tourism. The Tourism Policy Council (TPC),
established by Congress to coordinate Federal policies and programs afecting travel and tourism,
39 SBA analysis of loan data from the “Executive Information System” (EIS) database.
40 SBA analysis of contracting data from the “Federal Procurement Data System – Next Generation” database.
41 Several of these tools, funded by High Growth Training grants, are available at
https://wfsolutions.workforce3one.org/ by selecting “Hospitality” under “Industry.”
42 29 U.S.C. 2801 et. seq.
15
SI TUATI ON ANALYSI S
has played a varied role over the years and has proven efective when aforded sufciently high-
level leadership. The U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and industry associations play a key role
by informing Federal agencies about issues of importance to the private sector. Brand USA markets
travel to the United States to overseas audiences. As Brand USA expands its activities, coordination
between Federal agencies and Brand USA will be important.
Conducting Research and Measuring Results
Timely and useful data are integral to the successful branding, marketing, and sustainability of
the United States as a visitor destination. While the Department of Commerce is able to provide
international visitation estimates for most states, territories, and major cities, that information often
does not cover less-traveled destinations. Metrics will need to be developed to evaluate progress on
goals delineated in this National Strategy.
16
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
III. Promoting the United States
Goal: Increase U.S. travel and tourism exports and encourage Americans to travel
within the United States and its territories.
When foreign nationals visit the United States the good and services they purchase are exports. Exports
of goods and services in connection with the travel and tourism industry totaled $153 billion in 2011,
accounting for 25 percent of services exports.
43
Increasing travel and tourism to and within the United States, requires fostering additional demand for
the product and providing travelers the information and resources they need to plan and execute their
trips. The Federal government plays a unique and essential role in promoting the American tourism
product to potential travelers. Federal employees manage iconic destinations, facilitate and regulate
travel systems, implement programs and policies that impact the travel and hospitality industry, monitor
and regulate passage across our borders, and directly serve visitors at federally owned and managed
tourist attractions. The depth and breadth of Federal engagement in travel and tourism confers on the
Federal government a special opportunity to communicate with potential visitors using a consistent
marketing message and a broad spectrum of media.
The Federal role in promoting tourism is distinct and additive to that of Brand USA, which promotes
travel and tourism to the United States by international visitors and assists the Federal government in
communicating travel requirements and policies. The Federal government can supplement Brand USA’s
eforts by using its authority, messengers, and outlets to communicate the wealth of opportunities
available to potential visitors and also how to plan a visit to our country.
Overseas travelers to the United States who visit national parks or tribal lands tend to stay longer in the
United States, to visit more destinations within the country, and are more likely to be repeat visitors to
the United States.
44
As the manager of many of these destinations, the Federal government is in a unique
position to reach these high-value customers.
The Federal government is also well positioned to provide information about our laws and policies
governing travel to the country. The perception that acquiring a U.S. visa is difcult is a barrier to
increased travel and tourism, particularly in certain key growth markets where visitors may require U.S.
visas. To combat misperceptions, the public and private sectors must work together to provide timely,
engaging, and accurate information on the visa application process for both new and returning travelers.
Once potential travelers have embraced the idea of traveling to and within the United States, they need
access to information on how to execute their trips. Although the sale and marketing of travel goods
and services is largely the domain of the private sector (e.g., travel agents, hotels, and airlines), the public
sector (e.g., recreation.gov and state and local tourism ofces) plays an important role is communicating
the diversity of travel experiences available in the United States. There are signifcant opportunities for
new and existing public-private partnerships to amplify positive messaging and to realize synergies in
43 ITA, OTTI, Fast Facts: United States Travel and Tourism Industry, 2011, available at
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts.pdf.
44 Department of Commerce, ITA, OTTI, International Travel to the United States: Focus on National Parks & American Indian - Alaska
Native Tourism, March 2011 available at
http://www.nationalparksonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/OTTI-International-Travel-to-Native-American-Destinations.pdf.
17
PROMOT I NG T HE UNI T E D S TAT E S
our existing resource constrained environment. There is also signifcant room for improvement on the
Federal websites that provide trip planning resources to the general public.
The scope of Federal eforts to promote the United States as a destination and help visitors plan their
travel should be broad. Promotional eforts should highlight a wide variety of destinations that would
entice visitors to extend their stays, from the well-known to those of the beaten path, near major
metropolitan centers and in rural areas, in the continental United States as well as in Alaska, Hawaii, and
the territories. A number of Federal agencies can leverage existing programs and assets for promotion,
including, for example the America’s Byways® program, which showcases 150 distinct roadways that
have signifcant historical, cultural, recreational, natural, archeological, and scenic beauty and provides
themed and special interest itineraries. Amtrak also ofers promotions and contests to showcase
destinations, including national parks that are accessible by train.
Strategy 1: Provide a Welcoming Entry Experience to Foreign Visitors
Communicate through U.S. government ofcials and programs that the United States wants and
welcomes international visitors.
` Welcome Visitors and Provide Accurate Information About Ease of Travel to the United States.
Actively encourage visitors to come to the United States by communicating a welcoming message and
highlighting improvements in travel facilitation.
` Engage Government Spokespersons. Engage ofcials at the highest levels of the Federal
government, including the President of the United States and ambassadors, to communicate that
the United States wants visitors, and provide accurate information, a welcoming message and an
invitation to visit
Strategy 2: Coordinate with Brand USA and Leverage Partnerships
Coordinate with Brand USA in its mission to promote international travel to the United States. Engage
in public-private partnerships and partnerships with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to
provide promotional content and in-kind support, as well as to leverage resources for international and
domestic marketing eforts.
` Coordinate with Brand USA. Coordinate Federal promotion eforts with Brand USA’s marketing
campaign, which will target our neighbors, Canada and Mexico; visa waiver countries, including
Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom; and fast-growing economies
such as Brazil, China, and India. Provide information to Brand USA in support of its marketing and
communication programs and activities.
` Partner with private sector entities. Coordinate promotional eforts with the travel and tourism
industry. Use new and existing agreements to conduct joint promotions that match the unique assets
and messengers of the Federal government with the resources and expertise of travel and tourism
businesses.
` Partner with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. Join non-Federal tourism authorities
in place-based and activity-based promotional campaigns. Provide grants and technical assistance to
qualifed public sector entities to support their eforts to attract and serve additional visitors.
18
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
Strategy 3: Enhance Federal Promotional Eforts
Attract new international visitors, particularly from visa waiver countries and from fast-growing
economies like Brazil and China, and our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, as well as encourage more
Americans to vacation within the United States.
` Coordinate Interagency Promotion. Establish a unifed Federal promotion efort in the
international marketplace to encourage travel and tourism. Coordinate agency promotional eforts
and use personnel and programs to amplify the message. Coordinate travel policy communications
as well as marketing messages and programs, including tradeshows, familiarization tours, itineraries,
and materials.
` Provide Information About Destinations We Manage. Increase exposure by travelers and potential
tourists to travel and tourism promotion materials for federally-managed destinations. Cross promote
American cities, parks, museums, and other points of interest. Develop and promote itineraries
designed to appeal to visitors with interest in certain subjects, activities, historic events, or anchored
by well-known and popular destinations.
Strategy 4: Provide User-Friendly Planning Tools and Resources
Provide coordinated trip-planning information for end users, as well as portable data that partners can
use to develop their own travel planning tools.
` Update Data. . Ensure data on federally-managed websites is comprehensive, reliable, and accessible
to individual visitors and to application and program developers. Fully utilize existing databases to
connect potential visitors with the range of sites, experiences, and resources available to travelers
` Improve Tools. Standardize and improve trip planning sites operated by Federal agencies such as
www.recreation.gov and www.amtraktoparks.com. Use pilots to explore cost-efective options for
providing planning materials and tools in multiple languages.
` Identify Future Opportunities. Use market research conducted by Brand USA and the Department
of Commerce to analyze the demand among potential travelers for new or improved trip planning
tools. Develop focused plans for development of new tools based on this analysis.
19
E NABL I NG AND E NHANCI NG T RAVE L AND TOURI S M TO AND WI T HI N T HE UNI T E D S TAT E S
IV. Enabling and Enhancing Travel and
Tourism to and Within the United States
Goal 2: Reduce barriers to trade and make it safer and more efcient for visitors to
enter and travel within the United States and its territories.
The Federal government plays a primary role in addressing institutional barriers to international trade,
including those impacting the travel and tourism industry. While travel and tourism is among the
most liberalized sectors, some barriers to trade in travel and tourism services remain. For example,
restrictions on airline entry, service levels, and the cities that can be served; the sale of outbound travel
and packaged group travel; the use of enabling technologies; and the nationality of tour operators. To
support growth in trade in the travel and tourism industry, the Federal government should expand its
eforts at working with foreign governments to identify and lower barriers to trade in travel services,
including working towards incremental liberalization of aviation services and additional open-skies
agreements and exploring cooperation agreements to increase travel fows.
The government is responsible for safeguarding the country from security threats while efciently
processing all persons seeking to travel to the United States. The Federal government strives to
provide all qualifed visa applicants with an experience that promotes a positive image of the United
States without compromising security. To achieve this, the Department of State has increased stafng,
expanded facilities, improved efciency, extended visa interviewing hours at our busiest posts, adopted
streamlined application processes for many leisure and business travelers who previously qualifed
for visas, and is implementing a Global Support Strategy (GSS).
45
GSS frees up consular staf time and
facilities for interviews by shifting non-adjudication services out of our visa waiting rooms. In high-
volume locations such as Mexico and Brazil, GSS provides of-site biometric (fngerprint and photograph)
collection, freeing up window space for interviews at our embassies and consulates. In lower-volume
locations, GSS provides consistent support services, including management and reporting tools that can
be accessed by consular sections and in Washington, which allows embassies and consulates to better
manage interview appointments and backlogs. By May 2012, 59 percent of the world will be covered
by GSS.
The government can apply the lessons learned from the sharp rise in demand for visa services in China
and Brazil to other instances where anticipated economic growth will spur signifcant demand for
nonimmigrant visa services. New policies and initiatives designed to provide qualifed visa applicants
with a positive experience, without compromising border security, will enable the government to keep
pace with the expected growth in demand for visas.
The Federal ofcers who secure our nation’s borders while facilitating the movement of legitimate travel
and trade through our ports of entry have a unique opportunity to create a positive frst impression of
the United States, while maintaining the highest standards of security. The government is working to
improve the arrival experience for passengers traveling to the United States through training, processing
45 GSS replaces the current patchwork of contractor provided visa support services at embassies and consulates (e.g., call centers,
appointment scheduling, and document delivery) with a single contract and comprehensive process for managing the logistical
arrangements that precede the actual adjudication process, allowing the Department of State’s Consular Afairs to increase per-
ofcer visa adjudications without adding staf.
20
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
enhancements, automation, wait times measurement and posting, and the use of innovative technology.
For example, the Federal government has established the Model Ports program to pilot best practices
for creating a welcoming atmosphere in our country’s 20 busiest ports of entry, which receive 73 percent
of air travelers to the United States. A traveler satisfaction survey at the Model Ports was deployed in
November 2011 to assess passenger satisfaction at the Model Ports. The results were released in early
May 2012. Nearly 90 percent of travelers surveyed agreed that CBP ofcers were welcoming and that
their processing time was either short or reasonable.
46
Through the introduction of risk-based security programs and policies, and by leveraging the latest
technologies and intelligence, the Federal government can focus its eforts on those passengers
who are unknown or who are higher risk, thereby enhancing the travel experience for known and
trusted travelers. Passenger processing involves many layers, both seen and unseen, and the Federal
government has developed partnerships with local airport authorities, airlines, and the private sector
to continuously assess and resolve challenges in aviation security operations. One way to streamline
passenger processing and reduce wait times is to process expeditiously low-risk travelers, which frees
resources to focus on remaining travelers. For example, the TSA’s new expedited screening initiative,
TSA Pre?™ allows TSA to focus more attention on travelers about whom we know less, while providing
expedited screening, and perhaps a better travel experience, for those travelers about whom we know
more. In order to prevent potential terrorists from exploiting the system, TSA will always incorporate
random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no individual will be
guaranteed expedited screening. Another example of a risk-based security program is CBP’s Global
Entry program, an efort through which qualifed travelers provide more information to enroll, thereby
allowing CBP ofcers to focus resources on screening other passengers.
A safe and reliable domestic transportation infrastructure allows U.S. citizens to travel within our country
and connects international visitors to the many wonderful destinations located away from major ports
of entry. To accommodate growing demand by domestic and international travelers, our transportation
infrastructure must provide consistent and dependable service, minimize cost and energy consumption,
and be safe, efcient, environmentally friendly, and resilient. In support of these objectives, the
Department of Transportation has helped fund a number of initiatives, including infrastructure projects
at key land border crossings and an ongoing efort to upgrade our air travel system to FAA’s NextGen
satellite-based technology. NextGen will yield improvements in safety, fuel economy and on-time
performance, resulting in millions of dollars in expected savings through efciency by the year 2020.
47
As the nation expands opportunities for travel and tourism, and energy prices potentially increase,
pedestrian, multimodal, and mass-transit options will become even more important for travel and
tourism. Federal grant programs and discretionary funds support the development of pedestrian
and bicycle networks, streetcars, airport-downtown rail extensions, alternative transportation, and
enhanced multimodal connections in cities and towns, on Federal and tribal lands and America’s
Byways®. Infrastructure improvements directed at local residents and commuters, as well as those that
provide access to rural areas, also enable travelers to visit less-prominent areas and to utilize alternative
transportation modes.
46 “International Traveler Satisfaction Overview” U.S. Customs and Border Protection, May 2, 2012, available at
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/customerservice/mp_welcome/intl_travel_survey.xml
47 Federal Aviation Administration, NextGen Implementation Plan, March 2012, available at
http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/implementation/media/NextGen_Implementation_Plan_2012.pdf.
21
E NABL I NG AND E NHANCI NG T RAVE L AND TOURI S M TO AND WI T HI N T HE UNI T E D S TAT E S
Strategy 1: Lower Barriers to Trade in Travel Services
and Increase Travel Flows
` Continue aviation liberalization. Continue open-skies outreach to additional aviation partners
beyond our current 105 open-skies partners, including working towards open-skies agreements /
incremental liberalization with key remaining countries.
` Identify Impediments to Growth in Key Markets. Coordinate with the private sector to identify and
address challenges to the free fow of trade in travel and tourism services.
` Engage with International Partners. Enter into cooperative agreements with governments in key
markets to promote travel fows.
Strategy 2: Streamline the Visa Application Process
` Implement recommendations contained in the report of the Departments of State and
Homeland Security to the President. In response to the President’s call for innovative strategies to
welcome more visitors to the United States without compromising border security, the Departments
of State and Homeland Security submitted a report to the President in March 2012 outlining ways to
further streamline visa and foreign visitor processing. Portions of this plan are summarized below.
? Increase stafng capacity at the highest priority posts. Reallocate resources to provide
temporary support to visa adjudicating posts in Brazil and China; double the number of visa
adjudicating positions in Brazil and China by the end of FY 2012; and increase the number of
consular adjudicators with Portuguese and Chinese language ability.
? Explore and implement internal programs to increase efciency. Expand interviewing hours in
China and Brazil; implement the Global Support Strategy (GSS) in Brazil; prepare to implement parts
of the GSS in China; continue to refne GSS action plans to manage increases in demand over the
long term; and incorporate visitor arrival projection data into visa demand projections for planning
capacity improvements.
? Pursue streamlined programs for low-risk applicants. Allow certain categories of low-risk
travelers to renew visas without interviews for up to four years after the prior visa’s expiration,
where the consular ofcer deems it appropriate; and waive interviews for qualifed Brazilian
nationals under age 16 and 66 years of age and older.
? Expand existing facilities and consider additional visa-processing facilities in China and
Brazil. Continue expansion projects in China and Brazil, including the opening of two new
consulates in Brazil and expanding our presence in Wuhan, China.
? Increase eforts to expand the Visa Waiver Program and travel by nationals of VWP countries.
Continue to work with international partners such as Taiwan to meet VWP eligibility requirement;
support congressional eforts that seek to appropriately and securely expand VWP; and support
interagency eforts to increase travel by nationals of VWP countries.
` Leverage private and Federal channels to educate foreign publics. Explore the possibilities for
public-private partnerships with Brand USA and other travel and tourism private sector stakeholders to
create materials to provide timely, engaging, and accurate information on the visa application process
to potential visitors and continue consular staf outreach programs with host country nationals.
22
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
Strategy 3: Improve Customer Service at Ports of Entry
` Expand Trusted Traveler Enrollment. Increase enrollment in NEXUS, SENTRI, and Global Entry,
which frees CBP resources to manage other travelers. Continue to work with external partners to
expand trusted traveler programs.
` Deploy Technology. Continue deployment of advanced technology at land borders to facilitate
efcient processing and complete the deployment of Ready Lanes for travelers with RFID-enabled
documents, LED Signage, and AM radio transmitters. Deploy, subject to funding availability, additional
pedestrian Ready Lane kiosks. Increase the use of RFID-enabled travel documents to signifcantly
reduce inspection time at the northern and southwest land borders to improve processing capacity
and accuracy of identity verifcation, as well as reduce wait times.
` Re-Engineer Processes. Improve the way processing takes place in all inspection environments,
and make continual assessments for process improvement. New technology, as well as improved
programming and policies, such as initiatives that allow travelers to move more quickly through
screening areas or prioritize passengers with urgent connections, can be developed, where port
facilities allow, to enhance efcient and secure processing.
` Prioritize Customer Service. Work internally to continue to maximize available resources to achieve
greater efciency while improving the overall traveler experience. Continue to make customer service
at the ports of entry a priority, using the results of traveler satisfaction surveys and other data.
` Leverage Partnerships. Develop and use partnerships with airlines, airports, travel and tourism
industry representatives, and other travel stakeholders to continuously assess and tackle shared
challenges and opportunities.
Strategy 4: Enhance Passenger Screening
` Expand expedited screening initiative. Expand TSA Pre?™ to additional airlines, airports, and
populations of known travelers. By the end of 2012, TSA plans to have TSA Pre?™ operating at many of
the nation’s busiest airports.
` Develop and Use Risk-Based Approach. Focus resources and improve the passenger experience
at security checkpoints by applying new intelligence-driven, risk-based screening procedures and
enhancing use of technology. Strengthen partnership and communication with the travel and tourism
industry, the traveling public and other key stakeholders to better develop, implement, and assess new
initiatives, programs, and technologies.
23
E NABL I NG AND E NHANCI NG T RAVE L AND TOURI S M TO AND WI T HI N T HE UNI T E D S TAT E S
Strategy 5: Maintain and Improve Transportation Infrastructure
` Initiate Pilot Aviation Cooperation Program. Expand the Department of Transportation’s
work with the European Union and China to implement the recommendations of the Secretary of
Transportation’s Future of Aviation Advisory Committee, which support the development of air
transportation service options to and from the United States.
` Invest in infrastructure. Continue eforts to improve transportation and Land Port of Entry
infrastructure related to U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico border crossings. Implement on-going and
new, as budget allows, U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico border crossing infrastructure projects, including
projects to improve inspection plazas, roads, bridges, tunnels, and ferries.
` Update air systems and infrastructure. Improve the condition of the nation’s air transportation
infrastructure through implementation of NextGen and other programs. Support the International Civil
Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) eforts to reduce barriers to international air travel and to maintain the
efcient functioning of the international aviation system, including harmonization of NextGen, as well
as eforts to enhance international security standards.
` Connect visitors to iconic and of-the-beaten-path destinations. Enable travelers to see America’s
special places that are of the beaten path through programs that increase access and awareness,
such as America’s Byways®, the Federal Lands Highway Program, the Transit in Parks Program, and the
Recreation Trails Program, and increase the availability of multimodal mass-transit options to these
destinations.
24
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
V. Providing World-Class Customer
Service and Visitor Experience
Goal: Provide a high-quality visitor experience for U.S. and international visitors to
achieve high customer satisfaction and inspire repeat visits.
The Federal government can use its resources to ensure that we meet a high standard of customer
service and provide memorable visitor experiences that will generate new and repeat visitation. In the
most direct manner, we have the opportunity at our federally-managed sites to actually serve as hosts
to our guests. The Federal government also infuences the service provided by travel and hospitality
businesses by ofering incentives and programs to help train the private workforce, and by providing
special assistance to small businesses in the sector.
When travelers visit a federally-managed site – such as a national park, refuge, marine sanctuary, or
forest – the U.S. government gains a unique opportunity to create an unforgettable experience. The
reputation of our staf at our sites is stellar; park rangers are among America’s most recognizable and
beloved public fgures. From guided hikes to emergency response, the Federal servants who interact
with the public are on the front lines of the customer service experience. The challenge for Federal
agencies is to provide information and services to a wide variety of visitors from across the country
and the world. Successful visitor services at America’s destinations utilize up-to-date research about
visitor behavior and preferences to facilitate a positive experience by providing services, assistance,
information, educational opportunities, and advice, but also the space and freedom to allow visitors
the opportunity to discover and be inspired.
Certain challenges at times threaten the ability of Federal agencies to deliver on this promise. A
mismatch between visitor volume and service capacity can be difcult to navigate. The diversity of
visitors – in terms of language, age, and interests – adds to this challenge. Many units are limited in
the use of new media to communicate with visitors, and are less able to serve diverse visitors using
a static inventory of paper maps and brochures. Isolation is another challenge; visitors would beneft
from greater collaboration among Federal units and gateway communities to design and cross-
promote complimentary experiences and itineraries. Visitation must also be managed responsibly to
avoid degrading the world-class resources visitors expect to see and experience. Many national parks
and Federal lands and waters are in rural areas. Increasing both international and domestic travel to
Federal lands and surrounding small towns can help stimulate the economy and create jobs in rural
America.
At all tourist destinations, whether managed by the Federal government or the private sector, the
quality of a visitor’s experience depends largely on the “front line” customer-facing workers who
engage tourists from arrival to departure. A skilled tourism and hospitality workforce is therefore
essential to a robust travel and tourism industry. The Federal government can and has played an
important role in supporting the private sector’s eforts to ensure that workers in the travel and
tourism industry are skilled and competent to do the job.
25
PROVI DI NG WORLD- CLASS CUSTOMER SERVI CE AND VI SI TOR EXPERI ENCE
The Federal government creates opportunities for workforce development eforts through the
Workforce Investment Act (WIA).
48
In FY 2012, $4.8 billion was appropriated under Title I of WIA for
job training and employment services to adults, displaced workers, and disadvantaged young people
across all industry sectors. WIA funds are administered in all 50 states and U.S. territories by state
and local workforce investment boards. Strong industry and business partnerships with workforce
investment boards are an important means through which Federal investment supports a skilled travel
and tourism workforce.
The travel and tourism industry varies greatly by locality and workers are needed in a wide range of
sectors including lodging, food service, transportation, recreation, and arts and entertainment. A top-
down approach to workforce development is, therefore, unlikely to succeed. Our experience shows
that the most successful strategy is for state and local workforce investment boards to work closely
with existing tourism boards and local leaders in education, labor, and community organizations to
examine workforce needs and develop plans to meet them. For example, the Napa Valley, California,
workforce investment board sponsored a comprehensive hospitality and tourism workforce
gap analysis with several local partners, leading to recommendations ranging from combating
misperceptions about hospitality careers to postsecondary vocational training and skill-based
certifcations.
Federal tools such as online collaborative workspaces and competency models have also been
widely utilized to promote this kind of dialogue at the local level, helping to focus the agenda for all
stakeholders. Competency models are defned sets of skills and abilities required to perform most
common entry-level jobs in an identifed sector. The models are created through a process sponsored
by the Department of Labor and ratifed by industry leaders. Secondary and post-secondary schools
can then develop certifcate programs designed to teach these skills and employers can accept the
certifcates from these programs as evidence of work readiness.
Federal information resources, like the dedicated hospitality industry page at www.workforce3one.
org, assist workforce professionals, employers, and educators in sharing knowledge and tools to
support the employment needs of the industry. Using these tools and resources, local and regional
partnerships can produce the workforce needed to support a healthy travel and tourism economy and
provide travelers a high-quality visitor experience.
The estimated 28 million small businesses in America, representing more than 99 percent of all frms and
employing half of the private sector workforce, create two of three net new American jobs.
49
In the travel
and tourism industry, these businesses include travel agencies, tour operators, convention and visitors
bureaus, casinos, lodging providers, Federal concessionaires, outftters, and guides. Through the Small
Business Administration, the Federal government helps these businesses grow and provide high quality
goods and services to their customers. SBA grants and programs, and its partnerships with states,
municipalities, and industry and trade associations, help businesses create business plans, conduct
fnancial and auditing analysis and build marketing strategies, among other things.
48 29 U.S.C. 2801 et. seq.
49 “Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business,” Ofce of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration, January 2011,
available at: http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/fles/sbfaq.pdf.
26
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
Strategy 1: Improve Visitor Services at Federally-Managed Sites
Exceed visitor expectations for service and information, provide information about available experiences
including lesser-known destinations, facilitate visitation via cross-promotion and collaboration, and cater
to a wide variety of visitors.
` Showcase the American Experience. Develop additional tourism circuits near top destinations
to encourage travelers to expand their itineraries to lesser-known destinations, to beneft gateway
communities and add valuable vacation days. Existing pilot eforts include:
? Las Vegas: Las Vegas is one of the top destinations in the United States for international travelers.
By working with tour companies and other vendors, we can market itineraries that entice visitors
to venture out of the city and explore the spectacular surrounding natural areas such as Red Rock
Canyon National Conservation Area, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon
National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Death Valley National Park, and Zion National
Park.
? Miami: Miami is one of the biggest destinations in the United States for South American tourists.
Suggested itineraries for these travelers include opportunities to explore the “original Miami”
through the sawgrass of Everglades National Park and wildlife and beaches beyond the city in
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Biscayne National Park, and Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary.
? San Francisco: Visitors to the City by the Bay already fock to the Golden Gate Bridge, but just
beyond the bridge awaits the world’s tallest trees at Muir Woods National Monument, the Pacifc
Flyway with hundreds of bird species at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge, one of the
most beautiful shorelines in California at Point Reyes National Seashore, and myriad marine mammals
at Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Also of interest are the national historic and scenic
trails in the Eldorado National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
` Serve diverse audiences. Provide information and interpretation in plain English and foreign
languages. Create volunteer “ambassadors” at popular parks and monuments to provide a more
personalized experience for international travelers. Expand the use of new technology and new media
to provide customized visitor information for diferent cultures, ages, languages and interests, and to
decrease the demands on staf at overburdened sites and times.
` Improve access. Complete strategic road upgrades and reconstruction, public transit development
and multi-modal connections, land and easement acquisition, and improved access to information
about opportunities for recreational, historical, and cultural experiences. Streamline permitting
processes for camping or outftting in similar geographic locations.
` Promote regional tourism. Develop community-based tourism collaborations in key strategic
destination markets, especially those with scenic byways, coastal resources, national scenic and
historic trails, wild and scenic rivers, and other natural and cultural attractions. Partner with local
communities and engage with tribes to promote tourism and provide cultural experiences where
welcomed and in a manner sensitive to cultural traditions and benefcial to the communities visited.
27
PROVI DI NG WORLD- CLASS CUSTOMER SERVI CE AND VI SI TOR EXPERI ENCE
Strategy 2: Foster a Skilled Hospitality and Tourism Industry Workforce
Develop and utilize messaging to communicate that the United States welcomes visitors to experience
our diversity of world-class destinations, to attract new international visitors particularly from visa waiver
countries and from fast growing economies like Brazil and China, as well as to encourage more Americans
to vacation within the United States.
` Utilize competency models. Engage with industry leaders to amplify the existing hospitality industry
competency model, and to develop appropriate new competency models related to the travel and
tourism industry. Identify cross-sector and unique competencies required for car rental agencies, tour
operators, e-travel site operators, and other travel and tourism sectors.
` Partner with the private sector. Encourage workforce investment boards to strengthen partnerships
with travel and tourism businesses and convene the business community in their respective regional
markets to assess workforce issues. Cross-train private sector hospitality and Federal recreation and
visitor services workforces through collaborative curriculum development and delivery.
` Create space to collaborate. Assist workforce professionals, employers, and educators in sharing
knowledge and tools to support the employment needs of the industry. Use technology and new
media to foster information sharing, dialogue and partnership.
` Promote the Summer Jobs+ Initiative. Target tourism-related businesses to join the 2012 efort
to provide 250,000 youth with summer job experiences, including paid positions, internships, and
mentoring/shadowing opportunities.
Strategy 3: Support Small Business in Travel and Tourism
Develop and coordinate a targeted approach at the Federal level to support small- and medium-sized
travel and tourism businesses.
` Expand outreach and education. Use Federal websites, email and social media to educate small
businesses on how they can prepare for, and make the most of, the upcoming tourist season. Provide
entrepreneurs with the information needed to start a travel and tourism business, including key
business opportunities in in-demand travel sectors, how to write a business plan, and information
on how to access fnancing. Widely distribute information on Federal programs, from counseling to
CAPLines, a credit program designed to help businesses cope with seasonality. Share content and seek
options for deliberated, focused engagement with other Federal agencies and tourism promotion
organizations, including Federal land and water managers and the American Indian Alaska Native
Tourism Association (AIANTA).
` Promote existing small businesses. Partner with travel and tourism associations to increase
awareness of the small businesses in their communities and encourage tour operators to include stops
at local, small businesses.
` Create co-marketing campaigns. Develop co-marketing campaigns with those businesses that are
licensed to provide recreation and tourism services on Federal lands, waters, and shores.
` Increase counseling and mentorship. Help small travel businesses gain the confdence to withstand
seasonality and demand volatility so they can grow and hire. Develop a targeted plan to strengthen
counseling opportunities for tourism small businesses through SBA’s broad network of 1,000+ Small
Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Women Business Centers (WBCs). Utilize counselors and
mentors to help build awareness of the tourism initiative in their respective locality.
` Expand access to capital. Work with SBA’s 5,000 lending partners and more than 190 small business
investment companies (SBICs) to specifcally target outreach to travel and tourism small businesses, so
they understand the various traditional and patient capital options SBA’s partners ofer.
28
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
VI. Coordinating Across Government
Goal: Prioritize and coordinate support for travel and tourism across
the Federal government.
Successful implementation of the National Travel and Tourism Strategy will require sustained, high-level
commitment throughout Federal agencies, which in turn will depend on continued recognition of
travel and tourism as a priority for the Federal government. Similarly, private sector participation in and
evaluation of these policies, programs, and initiatives is critical to their success.
The United States does not have an entity that is recognized by industry and across the Federal
government as the primary Federal policymaker on travel and tourism related matters. Rather these
responsibilities have been dispersed across multiple agencies, including the Ofce of Travel and Tourism
Industries in the International Trade Administration and the interagency Tourism Policy Council (TPC)
chaired by the Secretary of Commerce. As a result, although the Federal government spends signifcant
resources each year on programs that impact tourism, we have lacked a coordinating body to prioritize
and develop a more favorable environment for travel and tourism.
In addition to better coordination within the Federal government, we need to better coordinate
with the private sector and state, territorial, tribal, and local governments. In many cases, the private
sector and these non-Federal government bodies have resources to promote their destinations both
internationally and domestically. In addition, many state, territorial, tribal, and local governments have
regulatory authorities and existing programs to promote tourism within their respective jurisdictions.
Better communication and the dissemination of best practices throughout all levels of government and
the private sector will strengthen tourism development across the country.
Agencies should focus resources in areas of common interest and emphasize linkages among resources
and connections to a larger American story, such as with itineraries and geographic mapping eforts.
As demand for new and diferent experiences emerges, tribal, regional, state, territory, and local eforts
can be encouraged and supported in partnership with the private sector, focusing on helping locations
provide a quality experience, tell an authentic American story, and capitalize on the number of existing
designations in the Federal arsenal, from America’s Byways® to Preserve America. The United States
has no shortage of compelling destinations available to promote, many of which are operated by the
Federal government. These destinations are complemented by a variety of locations managed by tribal,
state, territory and local governments, as well as the private sector.
The travel and tourism industry can be particularly challenged during market crises, which may result
from natural disasters, pandemics, acts of terrorism, and other threats. Economies facing such crises
often have difculty assisting with the recovery of their local travel and tourism sectors. Federal
assistance may be useful during these times, in particular to combat the negative perceptions of an area
during and following the crisis. Internal coordination by Federal agencies and with the private sector
throughout the crisis and recovery phases may be critical to a prompt and full recovery.
29
COORDI NAT I NG ACROS S GOVE RNME NT
Strategy 1: Establish Travel and Tourism as a U.S. Government Priority
Institute a formal and inclusive leadership structure for travel and tourism within government and to
coordinate with Federal agencies to efectively implement the National Travel and Tourism Strategy,
consistent with Executive Order 13597.
` Reinvigorate the Tourism Policy Council. Commit to high-level representation by each member
agency, organize working groups aligned with this National Travel and Tourism Strategy, and meet
regularly to identify and address barriers to progress and coordinate eforts.
` Create a national travel and tourism ofce at the Department of Commerce. Serve as the primary
point of contact for travel and tourism issues within the Federal government and at the national
level, represent the United States on travel and tourism issues internationally, and provide day-to-day
support needed to implement the National Travel and Tourism Strategy.
` Conduct outreach with public and private partners. Hold a summit on travel and tourism, and an
annual travel and tourism event to foster communication among Federal agencies and leaders of state
travel ofces, destination management organizations, and trade associations.
` Study and implement best practices. Engage Federal agencies in dialogue with other countries on
best practices in travel and tourism.
Strategy 2: Support Tourism Development
Focus resources on expanding the travel and tourism industry throughout the United States while
ensuring the stock of national and cultural resources is adequately protected and understood in the
context of a uniquely American experience.
` Coordinate and Publish Datasets. Improve the presentation of data by providing efective
geo-tourism information and map products across jurisdictions.
` Engage the Public. Involve residents as stewards and ambassadors in preserving, developing,
promoting and managing tourism resources as a source of community pride and
economic empowerment.
30
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
VII. Conducting Research
and Measuring Results
Goal: Collect and analyze data to support decision-making in the public and private
sectors and allow the Federal government to better measure the efectiveness
of its eforts to increase travel and tourism.
Product development, marketing strategies, investment plans, transportation planning, and
competitiveness tracking all require good data and information. Data on visitors’ origins, profles,
activities, motivators, states and cities visited, length of stay, and spending patterns can help with
the successful branding, marketing, and sustainability of the United States as a visitor destination.
Information on travel and tourism is the basis of sound policy and informs business decisions. Strategic
planning for and performance measurement of the travel and tourism industry depends on the
availability, validity, consistency, and reliability of statistics and information.
The Department of Commerce is able to provide international visitation estimates for 20 states and cities
based on the current sample size of the Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT). The data does not
efectively cover less-travelled destinations. Most states and cities do not have international research
programs or a way to track volume and traveler characteristics data on their own. Data from two credit
card companies is being used by select destinations to provide international traveler data, but with
more than 50 percent of spending by international travelers transacted with cash, the use of credit card
data has signifcant limitations.
Several longstanding issues hinder the U.S. Government’s ability to provide the level of research the
industry requires and to meet the mandates of the Travel Promotion Act (TPA).
50
z Data on the international market currently is limited. The Department of Commerce’s statistical
system is built around the Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT), which currently reaches a sample
of only 0.2 percent. This is less than the 1 percent sample size mandated by the TPA. Commerce
supplements the SIAT with data provided by the Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of
Economic Analysis, along with data from the Canadian and Mexican governments. The Department of
Transportation has data on international arrivals and departures, but that information includes both
U.S. citizens and international visitors and cannot be disaggregated.
z Domestic travel volume estimates and traveler characteristics data are not available. The Federal
government’s eforts related to in domestic travel and tourism research are focused on sector-specifc
types of research like national parks, arts and culture, and transportation.
z National level data exists for 25 sectors (e.g., lodging, restaurants, car rental, and transportation) but
does not contain regional, state, or city impact estimates for domestic and international spending and
employment.
50 The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (PL 111-145) mandates DOC from FY2011 to FY2015 to:
• Expand the number of inbound air travelers sampled by the Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT);
• Revise the design and format of SIAT questionnaires;
• At least double the number of states and cities with reliable international visitor and export value estimates; and
• Improve market coverage.
31
COORDI NAT I NG ACROS S GOVE RNME NT
Strategy 1: Conduct Research
Work with the travel and tourism industry to collect and analyze data to support decision-making in the
public and private sectors and allow the Federal government to better measure the efectiveness of its
eforts to increase travel and tourism.
` Identify data needs. Develop an inventory of available research and identify existing data gaps.
` Partner to fll data gaps. Utilize available Federal and private sector research resources and work
cooperatively with the private sector to address identifed gaps. The Department of Commerce will
seek to develop a public/private partnership program to support government research initiatives,
strategic planning eforts and private sector promotion eforts.
` Leverage data with other resources. Use secondary data including travel industry data, government
data, credit card data, and aviation data.
` Collect, analyze and disseminate data. Work with the travel and tourism industry to collect, analyze
and disseminate the data.
` Develop visitor information at Federal sites. Develop methodology to provide data to guide
management of Federal sites that will help ensure visitor safety and satisfaction. As part of that
methodology, collect data on visitor trip planning habits to inform Federal eforts to develop trip
planning tools and resources.
Strategy 2: Monitor and Evaluate Results
Develop metrics to evaluate progress on goals in this National Travel and Tourism Strategy.
` Develop metrics. Identify key performance metrics to measure progress of this National Travel
and Tourism Strategy.
` Measure progress. Collect and analyze data and report progress on an annual basis.
` Analyze results to improve performance. Use metrics to identify issues needing corrective action.
32
NATI ONAL TRAVEL AND TOURI SM STRATEGY
VIII. Conclusion
Travel and tourism is an important driver of the U.S. economy, with high potential to support job
creation across the nation. In a globalized economy, travel and tourism policies afect a broad range
of business interests, including those beyond the travel and tourism industry.
The President has elevated the promotion of travel and tourism as a top job creating priority for the
United States government. In this spirit, we will implement this National Travel and Tourism Strategy
and immediately begin developing detailed plans to realize the promise of the policies, actions, and
recommendations contained herein. To ensure the full attention of agency leadership, the Tourism
Policy Council will coordinate implementation of this National Strategy consistent with Executive
Order 13597 and the creation of metrics against which to measure progress.
With the active participation of the highest levels of the Administration, agencies will coordinate
eforts and work with private sector partners and State, local, tribal, and territorial governments in
a collaborative efort to realize growth in the travel and tourism industry. These eforts will support
economic opportunity and job creation in the United States.
GOAL S AND STRATEGI ES WI TH L EAD AGENCI ES
I nc r eas e U. S. t r avel and t our i s m expor t s and encour age Amer i c ans t o t r avel
wi t hi n t he Uni t ed St at es and i t s t er r i t or i es .
Pr ovi de a Wel comi ng Ent r y Ex per i ence
t o For ei gn Vi s i t or s
Depar t ment of St at e
Depar t mment of Homel and Sec ur i t y
Depar t ment of Commer ce
Coor di nat e wi t h Br and USA
and Lever age Par t ner s hi ps
Depar t ment of Commer ce
Enhance Feder al Pr omot i onal Ef f or t s
Depar t ment of Commer ce
Depar t ment of t he I nt er i or
Pr ovi de Us er - Fr i endl y Pl anni ng Tool s
and Res our ces
Depar t ment of t he Agr i c ul t ur e
Depar t ment of t he I nt er i or
Reduce bar r i er s t o t r ade and make i t s af er and mor e ef f i c i ent f or vi s i t or s t o ent er
and t r avel wi t hi n t he Uni t ed St at es and i t s t er r i t or i es .
Lower Bar r i er s t o Tr ade i n Tr avel Ser vi ces and
I nc r eas e Tr avel Fl ows
Depar t ment of Commer ce
The Of f i ce of t he U. S. Tr ade Repr es ent at i ve
St r eaml i ne t he Vi s a Appl i c at i on Pr oces s
The Depar t ment of St at e
The Depar t ment of Homel and Sec ur i t y
Ex pand t he Vi s a Appl i c at i on Pr oces s
The Depar t ment of St at e
The Depar t ment of Homel and Sec ur i t y
I mpr ove Cus t omer Ser vi ce at Por t s of Ent r y Depar t mment of Homel and Sec ur i t y
Enhance Ai r por t Sc r eeni ng Depar t mment of Homel and Sec ur i t y
Mai nt ai n and I mpr ove
Tr ans por t at i on I nf r as t r uc t ur e
Depar t mment of Tr ans por t at i on
Pr ovi de a hi gh qual i t y vi s i t or exper i ence f or U. S. and i nt er nat i onal vi s i t or s t o ac hi eve
hi gh c us t omer s at i s f ac t i on and i ns pi r e r epeat vi s i t s .
I mpr ove Vi s i t or Ser vi ces at
Feder al l y- Managed Si t es
The Depar t ment of t he I nt er i or
Depar t ment of t he Agr i c ul t ur e
Depar t ment of Def ens e /
Ar my Cor ps of Engi neer s
The Depar t ment of Commer ce /
Nat i onal Oceani c and
At mos pher i c Admi ni s t r at i on
Fos t er a Sk i l l ed Hos pi t al i t y and Tour i s m
I ndus t r y Wor kf or ce
The Depar t ment of Labor
Suppor t Smal l Bus i nes s i n Tr avel and Tour i s m Smal l Bus i nes s Admi ni s t r at i on
Pr i or i t i ze and coor di nat e s uppor t f or t r avel and t our i s m ac r os s t he Feder al gover nment .
Emphas i z e Tr avel and Tour i s m as
a U. S. Gover nment Pr i or i t y
The Depar t ment of Commer ce
Depar t ment of t he I nt er i or
Suppor t Tour i s m Devel opment
Depar t ment of Tr ans por t at i on
Depar t ment of t he I nt er i or
Col l ec t and anal yze dat a t o s uppor t dec i s i on- mak i ng i n t he publ i c and pr i vat e s ec t or s
and al l ow t he Feder al gover nment t o bet t er meas ur e t he ef f ec t i venes s of i t s ef f or t s t o
i nc r eas e t r avel and t our i s m.
Conduc t Res ear c h The Depar t ment of Commer ce
Moni t or and Eval uat e Res ul t s The Depar t ment of Commer ce
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