Georgia to Benefit From New Federal Travel Promotion Act

ATLANTA, March 5, 2010 — The Travel Promotion Act will create economic growth and thousands of new American jobs by welcoming millions more international travelers to the United States. In 2008, international visitors spent $1.7 billion in Georgia.
'The new legislation will increase the U.S. share of the international travel market impacting communities all across Georgia,' said the Georgia Department of Economic Development's Deputy Commissioner for tourism Kevin Langston.  'The tourism industry is a major economic stimulus, and employs 241,500 Georgians.'

The Georgia Department of Economic Development's Tourism Division is participating in a number of international travel shows and sales missions in the U.S. and abroad through Fall 2010 to promote Georgia as a tourism destination to individual travelers, tour operators and media. Georgia will be represented at ITB in Berlin, Germany; Active America-China in Chicago; International Pow Wow in Orlando; CITM in Shanghai, China; Active America-Japan in Atlanta and special sales missions to the UK, Germany and China this summer.

'This is a historic victory for the U.S. economy and the one in eight American workers whose jobs depend on travel,' said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.  'The United States Congress has sent a clear message that travel is a high priority to our nation and that tangible steps must be taken to increase travel to and within the United States. We are extremely grateful to President Obama and to the bill's champions: Senators Reid, Dorgan, Ensign and Klobuchar in the Senate and Representatives Delahunt, Blunt and Farr in the House.'

The Travel Promotion Act establishes a public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier international travel destination and communicate U.S. security and entry policies. According to analysis by Oxford Economics, the bill is estimated to drive $4 billion in new consumer spending annually, provide $321 million in new federal tax revenue each year and create 40,000 U.S. jobs nationwide. Further, it is expected to reduce the federal budget deficit by $425 million over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The Travel Promotion Act is modeled after successful state-level initiatives and is funded through a matching program featuring up to $100 million in private sector contributions and a $10 fee on foreign travelers who do not pay $131 for a visa to enter the United States. The fee is collected once every two years in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security's Electronic System for Travel Authorization. No money is provided by U.S. taxpayers.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.Georgia.org.