Search

×

USTA outlines travel recovery platform

In the annual State of the Travel Industry address, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow described the coming era for the American travel and tourism industry following the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic as “Travel’s Next Great Chapter.”

In Dow’s address delivered via webcast from the National Press Club on Wednesday, Dow acknowledged the hardships the pandemic has inflicted on travel—both as an industry and as a fundamental part of American life—but struck an optimistic tone about the prospects for travel’s return. Click here to read the text of his address.

“Our goal is not simply to recover what we’ve lost, but to rebuild an industry that’s even better positioned than before the crisis—one that’s more globally competitive, more innovative, and more unified,” Dow said.

Dow pointed to the policy platform that can help accelerate a travel recovery—which will be an indispensable pillar in restoring millions of lost jobs and reviving the U.S. economy as a whole. Proposals fall into five categories: 

  • Economic recovery
  • Investing in infrastructure and the future of mobility
  • Increasing global competitiveness
  • Reimagining air travel, and
  • Streamlining travel and security facilitation.

But despite the importance of travel and tourism’s crucial economic footprint, Dow concluded that it means so much more to Americans in these troubled times. “Travel defines the American spirit. It inspires our sense of adventure, brings forth our welcoming nature, fulfills our aspirations to connect with the world—and with each other,” he said. “That is a legacy we should not only be proud of … it is a foundation we can build on.”

Comment