Travel industry lobbying to help ease U.S. policies

A coalition of several of the largest U.S. tourism and business leaders has mounted an aggressive lobbying campaign to fundamentally alter the nation's travel policies, and is already scoring legislative victories in Congress.

The Discover America Partnership was formed less than one year ago by presidents and chief executives within the U.S. travel and tourism industry, such as Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Intercontinental Hotels Group, the National Restaurant Association and American Express Company. The coalition's mission is to improve the U.S. image abroad and increase travel to the country.

After mounting an aggressive lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill, including enlisting former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge as a paid consultant, the coalition is already seeing the fruits of its labor. The coalition has released two studies so far this year with recommendations that have made it into legislation. They include provisions in the recently enacted law to implement unfulfilled recommendations of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; fiscal 2008 Homeland Security spending legislation; and standalone legislation in the House and Senate.

"There has been more progress in the past six months to improve the travel process than [at] any point in the past six years," said Geoff Freeman, the coalition's executive director. Freeman said the group has gained traction with both Democrats and Republicans because it represents a broad coalition that is making "common-sense" proposals while embracing additional security measures, and is willing to financially invest in reforms.

"There's no doubt that we created a road map for common-sense travel reform," Freeman said.

Recommendations made by the coalition are dispersed throughout multiple pieces of legislation. The so-called 9/11 bill, for example, allows the visa waiver program to be expanded. That program allows citizens from participating countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa.

Before the program can be expanded, however, the U.S. government has to create an "electronic travel authorization system" that collects personal information on travelers from waiver countries, the bill stipulates. The Homeland Security Department will use that information to vet travelers. Homeland Security also has to create an electronic system at U.S. airports that uses biometrics, such as a fingerprint, to verify the identity of foreigners leaving the country.

The 9/11 bill also authorizes the Homeland Security Department to create a program that makes the top 20 U.S. ports of entry more welcoming and accommodating, including by hiring 200 new customs officers to help process visitors. Those proposals also were recommended by the coalition.

The Senate fiscal 2008 Homeland Security appropriations bill would provide $40 million for the "model ports" program, as well as the necessary funding to hire the additional 200 customs officers. The bill also would establish an international registered traveler program -- recommended by the coalition -- to expedite the inspection of frequent international travelers.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced Friday that a biometric system to verify when foreigners leave the country will be in place at all U.S. airports by the end of 2008. A battle over the proposal looms, however, as the airline industry has objected to being forced to install the exit system at their counters, saying it could disrupt travel.

A fight over expanding the visa waiver program also may be on the horizon in Congress, as Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., has introduced legislation to suspend the program until more stringent security conditions are met.