News & Commentary

A new U.S. Travel–Ipsos poll  shows Americans fear the United States is falling behind other countries in delivering a modern, efficient travel experience. Congress can make immediate progress by returning billions of dollars from the 9/11 Passenger Security Fee — a charge added to every airline ticket that is supposed to fund TSA operations and airport security improvements but is instead largely diverted elsewhere — to update security technology and speed up screening.

The VISIT USA Act, introduced in Congress Wednesday, would restore critical funding to Brand USA—America’s destination marketing organization—as the nation prepares to host a decade of global events including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, America 250 and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

“We applaud the Trump administration for taking meaningful steps to ensure fans from around the world can be part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Deploying more than 400 additional consular officers and doubling staff at high-demand embassies and consulates will help speed visa processing—and the expedited process for FIFA ticket-holders adds needed efficiency without sacrificing security..."

“All government shutdowns are irresponsible—period. They jeopardize essential services, erode public confidence and inflict needless economic pain..."

“Today’s announcement from Secretary Duffy and Administrator Bedford reinforces that safety is the number one priority in our nation’s air travel system. The decision to reduce scheduled flight capacity, while necessary to keep our skies safe, will inevitably affect the travel experience, leading to fewer flights, longer delays and more disruptions for travelers."

“Air travel’s number one priority is safety and while safety will be maintained, travelers will pay a heavy and completely unnecessary price in terms of delays, cancelations and lost confidence in the air travel experience,” said Geoff Freeman, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO.