U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo on Monday announced a new national travel and tourism strategy that focuses federal government efforts on supporting the U.S. travel and tourism industry and sets a five-year goal of attracting 90 million international visitors to the U.S. each year. It is estimated these visitors would spend $279 billion annually—expenditures that will support job creation in communities across the United States, its territories and the District of Columbia.
The Tourism Policy Council, a federal interagency council created by Congress, was charged by Raimondo with creating the strategy to focus U.S. government efforts in support of the travel and tourism sector, which has been deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategy follows a four-point approach to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, create safe and secure checkpoints, and bolster travel and tourism in underserved and underrepresented communities across the country.
Specifically, the strategy aims to: promote the United States as a premier travel destination, including broadening marketing efforts to encourage visitation to underserved and underrepresented communities; facilitate safe and efficient travel to and within the United States and its territories; ensure diverse and accessible tourism experiences with a focus on showcasing the nation’s federal lands and waters while also protecting them for future generations; and foster resilient and sustainable travel and tourism with goals to reduce the sectors’ contributions to climate change while rebuilding sectors that protect natural resources, support the tourism economy and ensure equitable development.
“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 mold a more inclusive, equitable, sustainable and resilient travel and tourism industry than ever before,” Raimondo said in a press statement. “Our new strategy leverages the best of what the U.S. public and private sectors offer, which will promote jobs, recover lost revenues and inspire unforgettable experiences.”
In 2020, the Department’s National Travel and Tourism Office reported that the decline in travel and tourism to and within the United States accounted for 56 percent of the decline in U.S. gross domestic product, and travel exports dropped 65 percent in 2020 when compared to 2019, or prepandemic levels. That said, monthly overseas arrivals to the United States increased from roughly 775,000 in October to more than 2 million in April . As a result, international travel to the United States has generated a trade surplus in each of the past five months, indicating a positive trend toward recovery even as international travel remains below prepandemic levels.
A version of this story ran on Hotel Management's sister site Travel Agent Central.