In the build up to the Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Las Vegas, WTTC President & CEO David Scowsill has welcomed a new report by the US Travel Association as an important roadmap to restore the US leadership position in global travel.

He said: “Visa policy plays a decisive role in a nation’s ability to compete for the vast and growing market for international travel. The new report by the US Travel Association provides an important roadmap for policymakers to follow in order to restore the US leadership position in global travel.

International travel counts as an export, just like agricultural crops, minerals or manufactured goods sold to trade partners overseas. Over the next 10 years, travel and tourism’s total contribution to GDP is forecast to rise to over $9 trillion, bringing with it 65 million new jobs. This growth will be largely driven by emerging countries such as Brazil, China and India. Countries with smart visa policies will have a major edge in capturing this market, which is why the US Travel report is so significant.

This week, the 11th annual Global Travel & Tourism Summit takes place in Las Vegas, where the world’s leading CEOs, government officials and thought leaders will gather to discuss policies and ideas to compete in the global travel market. The release of this report is therefore timely, and will be a major topic for discussion for us all, with members of President Obama’s administration.”

The report can be found here: www.SmarterVisaPolicy.org