The U.S. Travel Association has released a new report highlighting the power of Brand USA to drive U.S. economic growth and job creation.
The new report, Brand USA: Working for All of Us, includes statements from travel business leaders testifying to the program's impact.
In 2013, according to the report, Brand USA:
- Attracted more than 1.1 million additional visitors to the United States;
- Resulted in $3.4 billion in additional visitor spending;
- Supported 53,000 new U.S. jobs;
- Generated nearly $1 billion in federal, local and state tax revenue; and
- Yielded a 47:1 return on investment (ROI) on marketing programs—a far higher ROI than travel promotion programs operated by competitor nations such as the United Kingdom and Canada.
As described in the report, Brand USA is:
- An integrated marketing and communications program that promotes international travel to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories;
- A public-private partnership enacted in 2010 through the bipartisan Travel Promotion Act; and
- Financed entirely by foreign visitors and the travel industry, without a single dollar of federal taxpayer funds.
RELATED: Need Jobs? U.S. Travel Association Urges Congress To Renew Brand USA
Brand USA's Future Up to Congress
Brand USA's five-year authorization expires in Fiscal Year 2015. Since it was introduced in April, the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014 (H.R. 4450), which would reauthorize Brand USA, has attracted broad, bipartisan support in the House of Representatives (67 Democrats, 58 Republicans). Support is also growing in the U.S. Senate. A companion bill, S. 2250, has been cosponsored by more than one-quarter of all U.S. Senators (13 Democrats, 14 Republicans).
The partisan breakdown of support for Brand USA is evenly split in both the House and Senate. Of 27 sponsors of the Senate version, 14 are Democrats and 13 are Republicans; 71 Democrats and 66 Republicans have sponsored the House version, for a total of 137 so far.
"Brand USA works for America because it delivers economic opportunity and supports jobs in both small and large communities across the United States," U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement. "This new report details how Brand USA's unique public-private partnership model effectively promotes increased international visitation and bolsters jobs and business investment, all without costing U.S. federal taxpayers a dime."
Calling Brand USA "a stunning success" that has delivered "substantial economic benefits to every state," Dow said that Congress should reauthorize the program "without delay."
To read the full report, click here.