Opinion: Travel Leadership Arrives in Washington Not a Moment Too Soon

This opinion piece was originally authored by U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Geoff Freeman in The Washington Times.

For too long, America’s travel systems have been pushed to the brink burdened by outdated technology, staffing shortages and inefficient screening. These persistent issues threaten safety, reliability and efficiency. Urgent reform from Washington has been long overdue.

That’s finally starting to change.

With leadership from President Donald Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Congress, the U.S. is confronting these significant challenges head-on. These leaders are pushing to modernize air travel safety, upgrade airport technology and deliver much-needed improvements that will benefit millions of American travelers.

A top priority is modernizing America’s air traffic control system. Secretary Duffy has unveiled a bold, tech-driven plan to replace aging systems and deliver a more seamless, secure and efficient experience. Congress is advancing legislation to help make this vision a reality.

And Washington’s leadership couldn’t come at a better time.

Travel by road, air, or rail is vital to America’s economy and way of life. It connects families, fuels businesses and drives growth in communities. In 2024 alone, travel spending injected over $1.3 trillion into the U.S. economy, supported 15 million American jobs, nearly 1 in 10 workers and generated $190 billion in tax revenue, saving each U.S. household nearly $1,500.

Travel is a cornerstone of the American economy but to keep growing, it must thrive. The U.S. is still the world’s premier travel destination, yet international visitation hasn’t bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, despite being one of America’s top exports, bigger than steel, aluminum and even aircraft.

Reclaiming America’s global travel leadership is essential, and the time to act is now. The U.S. stands on the brink of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase America. Over the next four years, the U.S. will host a mega-decade of global events, including the FIFA World Cup in 2026, America’s 250th birthday, and the 2028 Summer Olympics expected to attract 40 million travelers and generate nearly $100 billion in spending. But these events aren’t just international draws; they’re pivotal domestic travel opportunities to explore iconic destinations and reconnect with our nation’s history.

All travelers, whether domestic or international, directly support American businesses and workers by spending on hotels, restaurants, retail, transportation, entertainment and more.

President Trump has pledged his full support to ensuring the success of these historic events. He’s established White House task forces for America 250 and the FIFA World Cup to coordinate across federal agencies. They’ve already convened their first meeting, an important step in America’s readiness efforts.

But to truly seize this moment, the U.S. must urgently modernize the travel experience. That’s why U.S. Travel convened the Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel, a group of top experts tasked with identifying and eliminating bottlenecks across the air travel system. Their report covers every step of the journey from curb to gate and back and lays out a roadmap to make travel both more seamless and secure, including:

• Delivering the biggest aviation security upgrade since TSA PreCheck: Allowing travelers to bring larger liquids, keep electronics and IDs in bags, and keep shoes, jackets and belts on.
• Modernizing airport customs and borders: Building a smarter, faster process our most advanced since Global Entry.
• Strengthening the visitor visa policy: Implementing a streamlined, visitor-friendly process.

Congress is now considering many of the Commission’s recommendations, but we must act urgently or risk falling further behind. Saudi Arabia is investing $1 trillion to boost its travel infrastructure and attract 100 million visitors. China and India are expanding and modernizing airports. Meanwhile, the U.S. has gone from a $50 billion travel trade surplus to a $50 billion deficit. Every 1% drop in visitor spending costs $1.8 billion in lost revenue for American businesses and widens that deficit.

This should be a wake-up call. Reclaiming global travel leadership, strengthening our economy and making American travel the best in the world must be national priorities. President Trump, Secretary Duffy, and Congress recognize what’s at stake, and are already taking long-overdue action. But to fully seize this moment, we must urgently advance the Commission’s reforms. Doing so will deliver a world-class travel experience and unlock major economic benefits for American workers, businesses and communities across the country.

Geoff Freeman is president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. To learn more, visit ShowcaseAmericanTravel.org.

This opinion piece was originally authored by U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Geoff Freeman in The Washington Times.