When President Biden signed a $460 billion spending bill on Saturday, funding was provided to the office of the assistant secretary of commerce for travel and tourism.
The U.S. Travel Association was pleased, having lobbied for the position.
“Funding this important position is a step toward ensuring America's long-term global competitiveness,” said Jeff Freeman, CEO of US Travel. “While other countries are working hard to increase their share of global travel, the United States remains neutral, in part due to a lack of a coordinated whole-of-government approach to increasing travel. That's what I'm doing.”
Freeman called on the Biden administration to “immediately do its part and prioritize a travel economy that benefits American workers and every region across the country.”
“The Assistant Secretary will play a valuable role in coordinating government-wide efforts to innovate travel facilitation and address persistent challenges that hinder growth,” Freeman said. “This position will also be essential as the United States prepares to host significant international events over the next decade, including the World Cup, and compete for a larger share of the global travel market.”
The role of assistant secretary was created in 2022 with the passage of the Visit America Act. This position was created to ensure that travel issues are focused at higher levels of government.
The spending bill passed the Senate late Friday to avoid a government shutdown. The passage of this bill will also allow for an increase in the number of air traffic controllers.
