The US is aiming to attract 90 million international visitors a year by 2027 under a five-year National Travel & Tourism Strategy.
The strategy was created by the interagency Tourism Policy Council and was unveiled by commerce secretary Gina Raimondo on Monday – the first day of the IPW conference in Orlando.
Speaking at the conference on behalf of Raimondo, assistant secretary of commerce for industry and analysis Grant Harris hailed collaboration between the commerce department, Brand USA and the US Travel Association as he predicted international visitors could bring in $279 billion annually if the target is achieved.
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The strategy aims to streamline entry processes and “promote the United States as a premier travel destination, including broadening marketing efforts to encourage visitation to underserved and under-represented communities”.
It also aims to “facilitate safe and efficient travel to and within” the US, ensure “diverse and accessible tourism experiences” and “foster resilient and sustainable” travel with the aim of reducing the sector’s contribution to climate change.
In 2020, the commerce department’s National Travel and Tourism Office reported that the decline in travel and tourism to and within the US accounted for a 56% decline in GDP, with travel exports falling 65% on pre-pandemic levels.
Since the reopening of borders to international visitors last autumn, monthly overseas arrivals have increased from around 775,000 to more than two million in April 2022.
Official projections have predicted a full recovery in the inbound market by 2024 or 2025, though US Travel Association chief executive Roger Dow tipped numbers to rebound fully as soon as next year.
Raimondo said: “The impact of Covid-19 has taken a toll on our national and local economies, but it also has presented us with a unique opportunity to mould a more inclusive, equitable, sustainable and resilient travel and tourism industry than ever before.
“Our new strategy leverages the best of what the US public and private sectors offer, which will promote jobs, recover lost revenues, and inspire unforgettable experiences.”
Harris said there was “a lot of work to do to get [inbound] numbers back up” and added “this is a vital sector that we want to continue to partner with and support as we come out of the pandemic.”
Dow welcomed the strategy’s release, while repeating calls for pre-departure testing to be axed for arrivals.
“The recovery of American travel jobs and visitor spending hinges upon the annual growth of international inbound travel,” he said.
“America must apply every possible resource at rebuilding it to full strength to benefit American workers and businesses in every pocket of the country.
“The new National Travel and Tourism Strategy comes at an important time when international travel spending in the U.S. was still 78% below 2019 levels in 2021.”
He added: “We commend the leadership of commerce secretary Raimondo and the Tourism Policy Council and applaud the ambitious goal of attracting 90 million visitor arrivals annually in the U.S. by 2027.
“The strategy sets out specific actions that the government can take to rebuild our travel economy and make it more globally competitive than it was before the pandemic.”
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