Obama Supports Tourism as Jobs Creator

President Barack Obama reiterated his support for the travel and tourism industry, underscoring its strong role in the U.S. economy, in a speech at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. on Thursday.

Obama also announced the signing of several executive actions to boost travel to the U.S. by expediting the entry process for international arrivals at the top 15 U.S. airports and by launching coordinated Brand USA marketing strategies in 10 international markets.

“I want to turn the 70 million tourists that came last year into 100 million each year by the beginning of the next decade,” said Obama. The speech comes in anticipation of a legislative battle to reauthorize Brand USA.

Job creator
Obama also addressed the goal of creating jobs in the U.S. economy, particularly in smaller cities like Cooperstown.

“Last year alone, travel and tourism were responsible for $1.5 trillion in economic activity across the country,” said Obama. “Think about that – $1.5 trillion supporting nearly 8 million jobs in communities like this one.”

Meets with travel industry
Earlier on Thursday, Obama met with representatives of the travel industry to discuss the growth of travel in the U.S. The Obama administration last held a similar meeting at the White House in March 2009.

No representatives of the travel agent community were present. Attendees were primarily composed of top executives from the lodging industry. Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, and Tom Klein, president and CEO of Sabre, also attended.

“President Obama understands that travel and tourism dollars are like pixie dust for the U.S. economy: sprinkle, add a few happy thoughts, and watch it soar,” said Dow in a statement.

Taking steps
Expansion of the Visa Waiver Program, the importance of the JOLT Act and improving the experience of international visitors were among topics discussed by the group, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

“I met with several CEOs of travel and tourism companies and, building on the progress that we’ve made, I directed my administration to work with airports, airlines, hotel groups, states and cities to do more to improve the traveler experience, and reduce wait times for folks entering into the U.S., all without compromising our security,” Obama said in his speech at Cooperstown.
 
Tourism vital to U.S. growth
The White House also released a new report detailing the progress of President Obama’s travel and tourism strategy. The report stated that travel and tourism supported 8 million jobs in 2013 and accounted for 27% of all U.S. exports, generating a net trade surplus of $57 billion.

“No country on earth earns more money from international tourism than we do,” said Obama. “And the growth of international tourism created about 175,000 new jobs over the last five years and helped drive American exports to an all-time high.”

The document indicates that the administration is on track for its goal of attracting 100 million foreign visitors annually by the end of 2021.

Issuing visas
The U.S. State Department issued 9.2 million total visas in 2013.

The report noted that the Visa Waiver Program had been expanded to include Greece, Taiwan and Chile.

The report also found dramatic reductions in visa wait times for key international travel markets like Brazil and China. Visa issuances to Brazil, for instance, have doubled since 2009.

The report does not mention travel agents.