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A Positive Economic JOLT, by Timothy Schneider, Publisher, Association News
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The travel industry generates 14.6 million U.S. jobs (roughly one out of every eight) in the United States. Studies indicate that each visitor from overseas spends nearly $4,500 in the U.S. when they visit. That’s why many in the travel industry, including the U.S. Travel Association, have been trumpeting the benefits of the JOLT (Jobs Originated through Launching Travel) Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to modernize and expand the Visa Waiver Program, reduce visa wait times and increase the number of countries eligible for visa-free entry.

The JOLT Act seeks to leverage the proven benefits of facilitating inbound travel to the United States: increasing economic growth, creating more jobs and improving the balance of trade. The benefits of its passage would be immense. According to U.S. Travel, expanding the Visa Waiver Program to 10 select nations, which include Brazil and Poland, could increase annual visitation to the United States by more than 600,000 travelers and add more than $7 billion to the economy while supporting the creation of more than 40,000 American jobs. The proposed legislation would also expand the Global Entry Program, which expedites entry into the country for pre-approved, low-risk travelers.

The U.S. Travel Association is busy lining up co-sponsors for the act, and its efforts are gaining momentum. With nearly an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, a total of 141 members have signed on as co-sponsors. U.S. Travel has set an ambitious goal of 218 Congressional co-sponsors – enough to secure passage of the bill in the House. The association is asking for those in the travel and events industries to contact their Congressional representatives to encourage them to sign on as co-sponsors.

We wholeheartedly support this effort because we believe the JOLT Act will strengthen not just the travel industry but all of the sectors of the economy that travel spending impacts. As we near National Travel & Tourism Week, May 3–11, we encourage you to contact your representatives in Washington in support of this important piece of legislation. For more information, please visit TravelCoalition.org.

We are also pleased to be marking National Travel & Tourism Week during the opening celebration for Meetings Quest in Mesa, Arizona, on May 6. Produced in conjunction with Visit Mesa, this special event will highlight the important role that meetings and conventions play in the travel industry. For more information, please see the ad on page 2, visit MeetingsQuest.com or call toll-free 877-577-3700.
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Timothy Schneider is the publisher of Association News and SportsTravel magazines, which serve group travel planners responsible for generating 106 million hotel room nights annually. Schneider Publishing also organizes Meetings Quest, America's longest-running series of trade shows for meeting planners, and the TEAMS Conference & Expo, the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers. TEAMS '14 is being held in Las Vegas, November 10-13, 2014. For further information on advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please call toll-free 877-577-3700 or 310-577-3700 if calling from outside the United States.

The current issue of Association News can be viewed in digital format online by clicking here.
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Media Contact:
Timothy Schneider
310-577-3700
Schneider Publishing Company, Inc.