WASHINGTON, D.C., July 25 – AAHOA Interim President and CEO Rachel Humphrey issued the following statement in response to the Senate Commerce Committee’s overwhelming approval of S.2203, the Brand USA Extension Act, an important step to reauthorize Brand USA:
“Yesterday, several travel and tourism industry CEOs and I met with lawmakers to advocate for reauthorizing Brand USA, a vital public-private partnership that promotes our entire country as a destination for international travelers. We are excited that the Brand USA Extension Act moved through the committee so quickly and with bipartisan support. This legislation, if signed into law, would create a dedicated revenue stream to fund the program by adjusting the ESTA fee paid by foreign travelers. This would ensure that the program is funded without spending a single taxpayer dollar. Brand USA helps bring more international guests and their dollars into our communities. This means more revenue for small business owners, such as hoteliers, which allows them to increase employee benefits, create new jobs, fund new development, and means additional tax revenue for local governments. More travelers mean more business, and that means great things for American communities.”
