Against the backdrop of the Cinderella Castle at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, President Obama will announce a national strategy aimed at haulting and reversing the decline of America’s market of spending by international travelers, thereby spurring job creation. With the number of travelers from emerging economies such as China, Brazil and India projected to grow by 135%, 274%, and 50% respectively by 2016 when compared to 2010, the Obama administration is hoping to capitalize on these trends.
According to a statement from the White House, nationals from these three economies contributed approximately $15 billion dollars and thousands of jobs to the U.S. economy in 2010. In addition, Chinese and Brazilian tourists currently spend more than $6,000 and $5,000 respectively each, per trip, according to the Department of Commerce.
Among the proposals Obama will unveil are measures to enhance and expedite travel to and arrivals into the U.S. by foreign nationals from China, Brazil and India. Such measures would include increasing non-immigrant visa processing capacity by 40 percent over the next year and ensuring that 80 percent of non-immigrant visa applications are interviewed within 3 weeks of receipt of their application.
Obama will also announce the establishment of a Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness that will be tasked with coming up with recommendations for new policies and initiatives to promote domestic and international travel opportunities throughout the U.S. A particular focus of the Task Force will be on strategies for increasing tourism and recreation jobs by promoting visits to national treasures.
In 2010 it is estimated that more than 400 million visits were made by Americans and international travalers to national parks, wildlife refuges and other historic sites, contributing $50 billion in economic activity and 400,000 jobs.
Obama is also expected to highlight the new 32-member U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, private sector CEOs from across the country, that would be sworn in today by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, John Bryson later today. The Board, first created in 2003, plays a key role in providing stakeholder feedback on travel and tourism strategy.
Florida will have four members on the Board. They are:
- Christopher Thompson, President & CEO – Visit Florida
- John Sprouls, CEO Universal Orlando Resorts & Executive V.P. Universal Parks & Resorts
- Olga Ramudo, President & CEO, Express Travel of Miami
- Maryann Ferenc, Founder, President & CEO – Mise en Place, Inc.
