Senate Adopts Procedural Motion to Begin Debate on Travel Promotion Act

Senators have adopted a procedural (cloture) motion to begin debate on the Travel Promotion Act (S. 1023) by a vote of 90 to 3.  This took place on a motion to proceed to the bill.

The purpose of this bill is to help increase travel to the United States by residents of other countries, according to a Republican Policy Committee summary.  You can read the Democratic Policy Committee summary here.

Major provisions, as obtained from the two bill summaries:

• creates a non-profit Corporation for Travel Promotion to determine the best ways to fund promotional projects, campaigns and other measures to attract tourists from other countries
• the Corporation would consist of 11 board members appointed by the Secretary of Commerce to represent state and local, federal, small business, hotel, restaurants, retail, airline, tourist attraction, intercity railroad, and travel distribution service interests
• they would be required to make sure promotional efforts benefit all 50 states including Washington D.C.
• Corporation would be funded by requiring the Department of Homeland Security to collect a $10 Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) fee from foreign travelers and voluntary matching funds from the travel and tourism businesses
• would authorize the Corporation to impose an annual assessment on the U.S. travel industry, other than higher education, airlines, and small businesses, up to $20 million (subjects of the assessment, however, must agree to the assessment by referendum)
• creates an Office of Travel Promotion in the Department of Commerce to coordinate the Department’s efforts with the new corporation
• amends the International Travel Act of 1961 to require that the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries expand its research and development activities in support of promoting international travel to the United States, including expanding access to official Mexican-travel surveys data, improving the Commerce Department’s Survey of International Travelers, estimating international travel exports on a state-by-state basis, and evaluating the Corporation’s success

The RPC summary provides a brief but useful look at both sides of the argument in regards to the new foreign traveler fee discussed above:

Opponents of the bill argue that it is counterintuitive to increase the cost for foreign travelers seeking to visit the U.S.—even if only by $10—as a way to entice more foreign visitors. Either the actual cost or the perception in foreign countries that the U.S. is unwelcoming could decrease the willingness of foreigners to visit. Further, such a fee could be duplicated and imposed by foreign nations on U.S. travelers abroad in those countries that do not have such a fee, thus increasing the expenses of U.S. travelers abroad. Supporters of the bill argue that the minimal fee will have little impact on a foreign traveler who is likely to spend thousands of dollars to visit the U.S. Additionally, many nations participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) already impose similar or higher fees for U.S. travelers, thus limiting any potential threat of retaliatory fees.

The bill is chiefly sponsored by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND).  It has bipartisan support, including 40 co-sponsors.