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IAEE Special Bulletin: U.S. Senate Passes Travel Promotion Act, Bill Goes to Obama for Signature
Last Thursday, the industry achieved a major
victory when the Travel Promotion Act was passed by the U.S. Senate with a
strong bipartisan vote of 78 to 18. The bill will now go to President Obama
for his signature, and by all indications, it will become law within the
next 10 days.
The Senate passed this bill nearly four months
after the U.S. House of Representatives passed an updated version of the
bill on 6 November 2009.
“We are very pleased that the Senate passed the
bill and look forward to the final stage of President Obama signing it into
law. The diligence of the U.S. Travel Association, key lawmakers, industry
advocates and support of IAEE members has been a testament to its progress
thus far,” said IAEE President Steven Hacker, CAE. “The resulting
opportunities will only serve to dramatically improve industry relations and
the global economy. IAEE has been a strong supporter of the bill for the
past three years as it will only benefit our members in the future.”
In a 12 February letter to President Obama about
a number of trade-related issues, IAEE urged the president to sign the
Travel Promotion Act into law, and now there are only positive indicators
that President Obama will sign the bill shortly since he has supported the
efforts of the travel industry to create new jobs to ensure the success of
economic recovery.
Once implemented, the Travel Promotion Act will:
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Create 40,000 new U.S. jobs to handle the 1.6
million new visitors to the U.S.
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Bring in travelers who will potentially spend a
projected $4 billion in their visits.
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That activity will in turn generate $321 million
in tax revenue, helping to reduce the federal budget deficit by $425 million
over the next ten years.
-
Promote the U.S. as a travel destination and
clarify security policies to foreign travelers.
-
Create the Corporation for Travel Promotion
whose activities will be funded through a matching program featuring up to
$100 million in private sector contributions and a $10 fee on foreign
travelers who do not pay $131 for a visa to enter the United States. The fee
will be collected once every two years in conjunction with the Department of
Homeland Security’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). No
money is provided by U.S. taxpayers.
For more information about the Travel Promotion
Act, visit www.ustravel.org.
About IAEE
Since 1928, the International Association of
Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) continues to provide quality and value to its
members through leadership, service, education and strong relationships.
IAEE is the largest association of the exhibitions and events industry in
the world, with a membership of show organizers, exhibitors and exhibition
suppliers. Organizers of more than 20,000 exhibitions and buyer-seller
events around the world are members of IAEE. Through the 2006 consolidation
with the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), IAEE delivers
valuable industry research reports. IAEE also supports IAEE Services, the
IAEE Public Events Council, The International Center for Exhibitor and Event
Marketing, and the Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Commission, which are
IAEE councils that provide products, programs and information to members.
IAEE recognizes its strategic partners: American Airlines, ASP, Inc.,
Bearcom, Mexico Tourism Board, Orange County Convention Center and
Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Visit
www.iaee.com for more information.
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Contact:
Mary Tucker
Sr. PR/Communications Manager
+1 (972) 687-9226
mtucker@iaee.com
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