Senate confirmation of John Kerry as U.S. Secretary of State, replacing Hillary Clinton, won the approval of Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. In a statement Dow urged Kerry to expand international travel opportunities. Clinton has served in the post since 2009.
"We congratulate Sen. John Kerry on his confirmation as Secretary of State. Sen. Kerry has long appreciated the value of travel as an economic and diplomatic tool, championing reforms to improve our visa and entry process during his tenure in the Senate," Dow said.
"In his new role as Secretary of State, we encourage him to unlock the power of people-to-people diplomacy and economic growth through continued improvements in the visa and entry experience for international visitors and expansion of the Visa Waiver Program," Dow said.
"Increasing international travel to the U.S. not only improves diplomacy but expands our economy. For every 33 overseas visitors who travel to America, one U.S. job is supported. Additionally, travel exports increased more than twice as fast as overall goods and services exports last year, demonstrating that travel is becoming an even more important generator of economic growth for our country through international trade," according to Dow.
"Again, we congratulate Sen. Kerry on his confirmation and look forward to working with him in the coming years to advance international travel to the United States."
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