COCHRAN VOTES FOR TOURISM PROMOTION ACT TO
ENCOURAGE INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS TO VISIT MISSISSIPPI

White House Next Stop for Bill Cosponsored by Cochran to Boost Mississippi Tourism

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate late Thursday night again passed legislation intended to attract more foreign tourists to the United States, a measure U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) supported as a cosponsor.

Cochran voted with the Senate to pass—for a second time—the Tourism Promotion Act.  The bill was attached by the House to HR.1299, legislation involving U.S. Capitol Police policies. The measure was passed 78-18.  With the Senate vote, it will now be sent to the President for his consideration.

The Senate passed its original tourism bill (S.1023) last September.

“I look forward to the President signing this bill into law so we can begin to attract more international tourists to Mississippi and the United States.  I believe that Mississippi, as the Hospitality State, can benefit from the programs created with this legislation,” Cochran said.

The Tourism Promotion Act would establish a nonprofit Corporation for Travel Promotion to implement a nationally-coordinated travel promotion program that would market the United States to international tourists. 

The measure also establishes an Office of Travel Promotion within the Department of Commerce to coordinate with the federal departments of State and Homeland Security to improve the U.S. visa and entry process for foreign visitors, while maintaining border security.   The Congressional Budget Office determined that the legislation will help reduce the federal deficit by almost $500 million over 10 years.

International tourism to the United States has remained depressed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  According to the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), there has been a 17 percent decline in the United States’ international travel market share since 2001, resulting in the loss of about  $100 billion in visitor spending.  Nationwide, the tourism industry reports that 400,000 travel-related jobs were lost in 2008-2009 in the United States.

A February 2010 report issued by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) Tourism Division determined that there were more than 78,000 tourism-related jobs in Mississippi in 2009, with an annual payroll of $1.62 billion. Last year, travel and tourism ranked fifth in direct private sector employment among all sectors of the Mississippi economy.

The USTA indicates that overseas visitors spend an average of $4,500 per person during any single trip to the United States.

Links:
Mississippi Development Authority
http://www.mississippi.org/
Mississippi Tourism
http://www.visitmississippi.org/