Inbound travel trade group calls for continued funding of Brand USA
The International Inbound Travel Association has called on Congress to continue funding for tourism marketing organization Brand USA.
The IITA will ‘fight for Brand USA until it is fully refunded for 2018,’ it said.
It is taking aim at the ‘ill-advised’ cut to funding which will cost jobs and impact many of its member inbound operators, destinations and suppliers which rely on foreign tourists.
Brand USA gets its funding via ESTA fees paid by international visitors traveling to the US from the visa waiver countries, which is matched by an equal amount from the travel industry.
No federal taxes are used to fund the agency.
"Since the establishment of Brand USA through the passage of the Travel Promotion Act, the United States has seen dramatic increases in arriving visitors from all key markets," said Lisa Simon, IITA executive director.
"We are particularly pleased that Brand USA has leveraged its funding to help grow international inbound business to every corner of the United States, including all states and territories.
"This ill-advised zeroing out of this important organization, which has demonstratively grown jobs, trade revenue and economic impact for the United States, will be our major focus until it has been reversed by both houses of Congress and funding restored in the FY18 federal budget," Simon added.
IITA is the voice of the US inbound travel industry and lobbies on behalf of member destinations, inbound operators, lodging companies and transportation operators across the US.
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