Delivering on President Obama's recent call for a
national approach to promote travel and tourism throughout the United States ,
Secretary of Commerce John Bryson and Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar
announced the Administration's National Travel and Tourism Strategy.
The plan reflects input from local government and
business leaders, including the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB),
which is chaired by Oregon Tourism Commission (dba Travel Oregon ) CEO Todd Davidson.
The National Travel and Tourism Strategy's overarching
goal is to increase American jobs and spur economic growth by attracting and
welcoming 100 million international visitors estimated to spend $250 billion
annually by the end of 2021.
In a joint statement with Sam Gilliland, U.S. TTAB
vice-chair and CEO of Sabre Holdings, Davidson comments, "The launch of
the National Travel and Tourism Strategy marks a watershed moment for our country.
It represents formal recognition of the national importance of travel and
tourism and its status as a powerful economic, job creating and cultural
engine. The U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board applauds President Obama,
Secretary Bryson and Secretary Salazar for their leadership in harnessing the
resources of the federal government and partnering with the private sector to
develop this strategy to tap our industry's vast potential. The
members of our board now look forward to working with Secretary Bryson and our
many other government partners in doing our part to help rapidly implement this
forward-thinking plan."
To reach its goal of attracting 100 million
international travelers annually within the next 10 years, the Strategy
identifies five areas of focus:
·
Promoting
the United States by
capitalizing on the growing demand for travel and tourism in the U.S. , creating
a positive and welcoming message for international visitors.
·
Enabling
and enhancing travel and tourism to and within the United States by working to
reduce institutional barriers to the free flow of trade in travel services;
expanding the Visa Waiver Program; enhancing U.S. visa processing; expanding
trusted traveler programs and expediting screening initiatives; and improving
the processes for arrival and aviation security screening initiatives while
continuing to ensure border security and traveler safety.
·
Providing
worldclass customer service and visitor experiences that will inspire repeat
visitation and positive word-of-mouth.
·
Coordinating
across government to prioritize its support for travel and tourism, better
coordinate Federal policies and programs, engage more deliberately with
partners, encourage coordinated Federal participation in public-private tourism
collaborations and establish a national travel and tourism office to provide
leadership and focus within the federal government.
·
Conducting research and
measuring results