U.S. Travel Joins Congressman Bean for “Travel Works” Power Hour in Amelia Island, Florida

The U.S. Travel Association conducted a “Travel Works for America” Power Hour with U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean and more than 20 Amelia Island travel and business leaders on Friday, August 9, demonstrating the tangible impact that travel has on the local region and businesses.

“Travel is a cornerstone for communities like Amelia Island, providing jobs for local workers and boosting the nation’s global competitiveness,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, U.S. Travel Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy. “We appreciate the opportunity to join Congressman Bean for a discussion on how Congress can further support the growth of travel to his district and throughout the United States, as well as the leadership of Visit Amelia Island, who were instrumental in bringing us together.”

“Small businesses are the heart of our economy and what they need right now is certainty for the future. The Biden-Harris Administration’s inflation crisis has created a new tax on all Floridians, and that tax is rising every month,” said Congressman Bean. “As a former small business owner, I know firsthand the burdens small businesses face. In Congress, I’m working to ensure our unique travel and tourism industry has the support it needs to become more competitive, more productive, and more innovative.”

The Power Hour agenda included critical topics such as the need to lower wait times for U.S. visitor visas – especially for first-time applicants, which exceeds over 300 days on average in key markets – as well as reducing wait times for travelers at U.S. Customs at gateway airports.

Participants also discussed the need to permanently expand the H-2B worker visa program, especially in support of the small and seasonal businesses that depend on temporary workers; the benefits to travelers of innovative facial identity verification technology at TSA airport checkpoints; full funding for the new Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism at the U.S. Department of Commerce; and the importance of Brand USA, the official destination marketing organization for the United States.