Robert Silk

A s the U.S. gets closer to celebrating its 250th birthday on July 4, travel industry stakeholders wonder if the occasion, which the White House

The U.S. Travel Association is disappointed with CBP's plan to scale back the proposed requirement for travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries to submit five years of social media history, arguing it could discourage travel without enhancing security.

Brand USA is launching a Canada-specific tourism campaign to boost cross-border travel, acknowledging the current "America the Beautiful" campaign doesn't resonate with Canadian travelers.

Trump administration officials pledged to revitalize U.S. inbound tourism amid declining visitor numbers.

Accelya's NDC platform enhances airfare searches by optimizing query handling, reducing costs and improving efficiency, thus increasing booking conversion rates amidst high bot-generated shopping requests.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatens to remove CBP officers from sanctuary city airports, impacting international flights; this proposal faces opposition from travel industry groups.

JetBlue plans to launch Fort Lauderdale-Caracas flights by the end of 2026, joining American and United in serving Venezuela after a U.S. flight ban was lifted.

Removing CBP officers from U.S. airports in sanctuary cities would have significant negative economic and logistical impacts, warns the U.S. Travel Association, especially as the FIFA World Cup approaches.

At stake for the U.S. tourism industry is the restoration of its previous budget and reauthorization by 2027 amid a challenging political climate. Its budget was reduced significantly, impacting projects and campaigns. Efforts are underway to restore funding through the Visit USA Act, but political opposition remains strong. Brand USA emphasizes its positive impact on tourism despite reduced resources.

Editor at large Robert Silk spoke with Adams at the U.S. Travel Association's IPW conference about how he hopes to bolster sagging inbound tourism.