US Travel Association chief executive Geoff Freeman has vowed to maintain intensive lobbying to improve the customs and airline experience for visitors as he admitted the country took “far too long to reopen borders” following the pandemic.
Speaking at the IPW conference in San Antonio, Freeman said the US was fighting for customers in an increasingly competitive market and identified visa wait times, border checks and America’s aviation system as key challenges.
Freeman said international visitors consistently experienced customs wait times of more than an hour at key gateways in April, adding Customs and Border Protection was “1,700 officers short of where we need to be”.
He added USTA was focusing on generating funds for more pre-clearance options for international travellers and hailed the appointment of America’s first assistant secretary for travel & tourism in raising the industry’s profile and driving improvements.
Freeman also addressed perceptions of the US in overseas markets in relation to gun crime, admitting reports of recent mass killings could put off potential visitors.
Describing the issue as “heart-breaking and gut-wrenching”, he added: “Public safety and travel go hand in hand and there is no way to increase travel if people have concerns about public safety.”
Freeman said: “We have made a lot of progress in building back international travel since the world shut down a little over three years ago but there is so much more potential to grow this sector over the coming years, to build an industry that works seamlessly and to improve and modernise our systems.
“We must remain fiercely competitive in an ever more competitive travel environment. At US Travel we are confident we will help the United States attract more visitors.”
Photo: US Travel Association