The US travel trade heightened lobbying for an overhaul of the country’s travel infrastructure on the morning of Donald Trump’s address to the nation.
The US Travel Association ran a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal calling for the president to lead in modernising the outdated travel system before it buckles under surging demand.
The advert, published to coincide with Trump’s address to Congress six weeks into his presidency, is the latest step in a US Travel campaign to make modernising the travel experience an “immediate top priority” ahead of growing travel demand and hosting a decade of events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
Signed by US Travel chief executive Geoff Freeman, the advert pointed out that America is the only G20 nation without a clear federal leader or agency dedicated to travel policy.
“Creating a task force led by a senior White House official to showcase America would bring sustained leadership and focus across the federal government to take advantage of the global events coming our way,” Freeman pointed out.
A commitment to improve air traffic control by new transport secretary Sean Duffy was a “critical step”.
“But air traffic control is just one piece of the puzzle, and without broader action, the entire travel system will buckle under surging demand,” the advert noted.
“TSA (Transportation Security Administration) checkpoints are already overwhelmed, airport customs constraints are denying new routes and bureaucratic processes are creating severe backlogs for lawful visitors to obtain temporary visas. This strain will only get worse.”
US Travel, which represents the $1.3 trillion travel industry, unveiled a report last month with the Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel outlining “critical steps” to transform the travel experience.
The organisation has also created a website, ShowcaseAmericanTravel.org, and released a video making the case for modernising travel.