TOURISM IS GOOD FOR AMERICA

January 30, 2011 Posted by Norka M. Schell, Esq. Tourism is good for America, even President Obama knows that. On January 19, President Obama issues "Executive Order Establishing Visa and Foreign Visitor Processing Goals and Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness." The Travel and Tourism industry is one of the America's leading services sectors and sources of exports. The Executive Order is intended to improve visa and foreign visitor processing and travel promotion in order to create jobs and spur economic growth in the U.S. while continuing to protect national security. The Executive Order establishes a task force on travel and competitiveness to develop a national travel and truism strategy within 90 days of the date of the Executive Order. The task force is charged with: 1. Making recommendations for new policies and initiates to promote domestic and international travel opportunities throughout the United States with the goal of increasing the countries' market share of worldwide travel 2. Considering recommendations to promote and expand travel and tourism opportunities in rural communities, and 3. Identifying and barrier to increasing the United States market share of worldwide travel as well as any other related areas of concern. The President also directs his agencies to develop an implementation plan within 60 days of the Executive Order to (a) increase nonimmigrant visa processing capacity in Brazil and China by 40 percent over the coming year; (b) ensure the 80 percent of nonimmigrant visa applicants are interviewed within three weeks of receipt of application; (c) increase efforts to expand the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and travel by nationals of VWP participants, and (4) expand reciprocal recognition programs for expedited travel, such as the Global Entry program. With responsibility and committment let's make easy for turists to visit the United States.