2014: Schweikert Voted To Reauthorize Fees On Foreign Visitors To The United States Through 2020, For The Purpose Of Funding The Corporation For Travel Promotion (CTP). In July 2014, Schweikert voted for a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, "[would] extend[] through FY 2020 the authority of the Corporation for Travel Promotion to collect fees on foreign visitors to the United States, which are used to fund both its activities and operations of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, and it [would] modif[y] numerous other corporation authorities. The corporation's current authority to collect fees expires Sept. 30 [2014]. As under current law, the corporation could use $100 million of amounts collected each year for its own activities, provided it raises non-federal funds to match those contributions. [...] It also removes the ability of the corporation to impose an annual assessment on U.S. members of the international travel and tourism industry to fund its activities. That assessment authority has never been used." The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the bill by a vote of 347 to 57. The bill died in the Senate [House Vote 433, 7/22/14; Congressional Quarterly, 7/21/14; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4450]
CTP Also Known As "Brand USA." According to the Congressional Budget Office, "H.R. 4450 would extend the provisions of the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-145), which established the Corporation for Travel Promotion (also known as Brand USA), through September 30, 2020, and impose new performance and procurement requirements on the corporation. The bill also would extend the authority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect travel promotion fees from certain foreign individuals traveling to the United States. Those fees are used to partially fund Brand USA." [Congressional Budget Office, 7/18/14]
CTP Created In 2009 After A 2006 Report On The Post-Sept. 11 Decline In International Travel To The U.S. Noted That The Highest Growth In That Area Have A Country-Wide Tourism Coordination Agency. According to Congressional Quarterly, "In 2006, in response to a drop in international tourism to the U.S. after the 2001 terrorist attacks, the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board issued a report that found the countries that claim the largest share of the growth in the international travel market have either ministries of tourism or other governmental entities that help coordinate tourism policy decisions. The United States, by contrast, had neither a dedicated office of tourism nor an official to advocate at the highest policy levels. The report recommended the creation of an office with the power to coordinate government policy to enhance the nation's competitive standing in the global travel market. Consequently, Congress in 2009 enacted the Travel Promotion Act (PL 111--145), which created the Corporation for Travel Promotion, a public-private partnership tasked with promoting tourism in the United States." [Congressional Quarterly, 7/21/14]
Under 2009 Act, CTP's Mission Was To Promote International Leisure, Business And Academic Travel To The U.S.; To Inform Travelers Of U.S. Travel Policies; And To Market Non-Traditional U.S. Destinations To International Travelers. According to a 2012 U.S. Government Accountability Office report, "In an effort to reinvigorate the tourism industry and recapture lost world market share, Congress established CTP under the Travel Promotion Act of 2009. CTP is not a federal agency; instead it was conceived as a nonprofit, public-private partnership with the mission of promoting increased international leisure, business, and scholarly travel to the United States. CTP is charged with executing a nationally coordinated travel promotion program, which includes accurately communicating U.S. travel policies and providing international exposure for areas of the United States not traditionally visited by international travelers. CTP expects to position the United States as a compelling destination for international travelers and increase visitors by promoting multiple destinations and attractions in the country through an integrated marketing and communications strategy. It expects that promotional efforts will result in financial benefits to the U.S. economy, such as increased spending from visitors and new jobs in travel and related sectors." [GAO Report #GAO-12-485R, 3/21/12]
2009 Act Authorized CTP Funding Via A $10 Fee On Use Of The Electronic System That Determines Whether Foreign Travelers Are Eligible To Enter The U.S. Under The Visa Waiver Program. According to Congressional Quarterly, "To fund the corporation's activities, the [2009] act imposed a fee of $10 for use of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program. That fee also covers the cost of administering ESTA, and in 2010 it was raised $4 (to a total of $14) by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The 2009 law also authorized the corporation to impose annual assessments on U.S. members of the international travel and tourism industry to fund its activities --- although that authority has never been used." [Congressional Quarterly, 7/21/14]
CBO Estimated That The Bill Would Reduce The Deficit By $231 Million Over 10 Years, With $500 In New Spending And $731 Million In Increased Revenue. According to the Congressional Budget Office, "CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 4450 would increase direct spending by $500 million and revenues by $731 million over the 2015-2024 period, resulting in a net decrease in the deficit of $231 million over the 10-year period. Pay-as-you-go procedures apply because enacting the legislation would affect direct spending and revenues. CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4450 would not significantly affect discretionary spending." [Congressional Budget Office, 7/18/14]
U.S. Travel Association: CTP Generated $47 In Economic Benefit For Every $1 Spent. According to a U.S. Travel Association Press Release, obtained via Travel Pulse, "The program, according to Oxford Economics, generates an estimated $47 in economic benefits for every $1 spent on travel promotion. It is funded by international visitor fees and private matching funds, with no costs being borne by U.S. taxpayers." [U.S. Travel Association press release, via Travel Pulse, 4/10/14]
U.S. Travel Association: Brand USA Program Has Resulted In Increased Travel To The U.S. That Has Generated $7.4 Billion In Economic Output And Supported More Than 53,000 U.S. Jobs. According to a U.S. Travel Association Press Release, obtained via Travel Pulse, "In 2013, Brand USA increased inbound international travel to the United States by 2.3 percent, resulting in 1.1 million additional trips to America. The additional visitation spurred by Brand USA resulted in an estimated $3.4 billion in new visitor spending and $7.4 billion in increased economic output, supported more than 53,000 U.S. jobs and generated $972 million in local, state and federal tax revenue." [U.S. Travel Association press release, via Travel Pulse, 4/10/14]
Heritage Action Reportedly Opposed Reauthorizing Brand USA, Saying The Program Was "Ripe With Waste, Mismanagement, And Trademark Washington Cronyism," And Was Not Necessary. According to the "Notes from the Heritage Sentinel Weekly Call for July 21, 2014," posted on the website of the Greene County, Ohio TEA Party, "This week, the House will take up the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014 (H.R. 4450) to reauthorize the Brand USA program---a government-run public relations corporation meant to promote international travel to America. This program is ripe with waste, mismanagement, and trademark Washington cronyism. The U.S. needs no taxpayer-funded advertisements to generate tourism. Brand USA should not be reauthorized." The notes gave the contact information for the call as "Stephanie Kreuz, Midwest Regional Coordinator, Heritage Action for America." ["Notes from the Heritage Sentinel Weekly Call for July 21," posted on Greene County (Ohio) TEA Party website, Viewed 8/18/14]