TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Title I: International Visitor Initiatives
Title II: International Marketing Program
Value in Supporting International Tourism in the United States Act of 1998 (or the Visit USA Act) - Title I: International Visitor Initiatives - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish an Intergovernmental Task Force for International Visitor Assistance. Requires the Task Force to: (1) examine, and report to the President and the Congress its recommendation on, signage at U.S. facilities (including airports, seaports, land border crossings, highways, and bus, train, and other public transit stations); and (2) identify and suggest solutions to existing inadequacies, such as the adoption of uniform standards on international signage for use throughout the United States in order to facilitate international visitors' travel here.
Requires the Task Force also to examine and report on: (1) the availability of multilingual travel and tourism information and means of disseminating such information; and (2) establishment of a toll-free, private-sector operated telephone number, staffed by multilingual operators, to provide assistance to international tourists coping with an emergency.
Directs the Secretary to complete, as soon as practicable, a satellite system of accounting for the travel and tourism industry.
Title II: International Marketing Program - Authorizes appropriations for U.S. National Tourism Organization international promotional activities. Prohibits the use of such funds for any purpose other than marketing, research, outreach, or any other activity designed to promote the United States as the premiere travel and tourism destination in the world. States that the Organization's general and administrative expenses shall be borne by the private sector.
[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4631 Introduced in House (IH)]
105th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4631
To create employment opportunities and to promote economic growth in
the United States by establishing a public-private partnership between
the United States travel and tourism industry and every level of
government to work to make the United States the premiere travel and
tourism destination in the world, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 25, 1998
Mr. Farr of California (for himself and Mr. Foley) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To create employment opportunities and to promote economic growth in
the United States by establishing a public-private partnership between
the United States travel and tourism industry and every level of
government to work to make the United States the premiere travel and
tourism destination in the world, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Value in Supporting International
Tourism in the United States Act of 1998'' or ``Visit USA Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the travel and tourism industry, as one of the Nation's
largest employers, has made a substantial contribution to the
health of the Nation's economy in that:
(A) the industry directly employs 7,000,000
Americans, throughout every region of the country,
heavily concentrated among small businesses, and
indirectly employs an additional 9,200,000 Americans,
for a total of 16,200,000 jobs;
(B) the industry ranks as the first, second, or
third largest employer in 32 States and the District of
Columbia, generating a total tourism-related annual
payroll of $127,900,000,000;
(C) the industry has become the Nation's third
largest retail sales industry, generating a total of
$489,000,000,000 each year in total expenditures; and
(D) in 1977 the industry generated $71,700,000,000
in tax revenues for Federal, State, and local
governments;
(2) through an effective public-private partnership,
Federal, State, and local governments and the travel and
tourism industry can successfully market the United States as
the premiere international tourist destination in the world;
(3) the private sector, States, and cities currently spend
more than $1,000,000,000 annually to promote particular
destinations within the United States to international
visitors;
(4) the more than $98,000,000,000 spent by more than
54,000,000 foreign visitors in the United States in 1997
generated a trade surplus in the service sector of more than
$26,000,000,000;
(5) 100 nations around the world spend hundreds of millions
of dollars annually to promote the visits of international
tourists to their countries, whereas the United States does not
expend Federal funds for this purpose;
(6) the United States will miss a major marketing
opportunity if it fails to aggressively compete for an
increased share of international tourism expenditures;
(7) in 1997, 17,900,000 more people visited France than the
United States;
(8) 92 percent of the tourism industry is composed of
small- and medium-sized businesses;
(9) a well-funded, well-coordinated international marketing
effort--developed and implemented by a joint public-private
sector effort--would help small and large businesses, as well
as State and local governments, share in the projected growth
of the international travel and tourism market in the 21st
century;
(10) Congress can increase the opportunities for attracting
international visitors and enhancing their stay in the United
States by--
(A) continuing the successful visa waiver pilot
program;
(B) improving international signage at airports,
seaports, land border crossings, highways, and bus,
train, and other public transit stations in the United
States;
(C) increasing the availability of multilingual
tourist information; and
(D) creating a toll-free, private sector operated,
emergency telephone number, staffed by multilingual
operators, to provide assistance to international
tourists;
(11) by establishing a satellite system of accounting for
travel and tourism, the Secretary of Commerce could provide
Congress and the President with objective, thorough data that
would help policymakers more accurately gauge the size and scope of the
domestic travel and tourism industry and its significant impact on the
health of the Nation's economy; and
(12) having established the United States National Tourism
Organization under the United States National Tourism
Organization Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 2141 et seq.) to increase
the United States share of the international tourism market by
developing a national travel and tourism strategy, Congress
should support a long-term marketing effort and other important
regulatory reform initiatives to promote increased
international travel to the United States.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to facilitate
international visitors' travel in the United States and promote an
international marketing program to make the United States the premiere
travel destination in the world.
TITLE I--INTERNATIONAL VISITOR INITIATIVES
SEC. 101. INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ASSISTANCE TASK FORCE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 9 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall establish an
Intergovernmental Task Force for International Visitor Assistance
(hereafter in this section referred to as the ``Task Force'').
(b) Duties.--The Task Force shall examine--
(1) signage at facilities in the United States, including
airports, seaports, land border crossings, highways, and bus,
train, and other public transit stations, and shall identify
existing inadequacies and suggest solutions for such
inadequacies, such as the adoption of uniform standards on
international signage for use throughout the United States in
order to facilitate international visitors' travel in the
United States;
(2) the availability of multilingual travel and tourism
information and means of disseminating, at no or minimal cost
to the Government, such information; and
(3) the feasibility of establishing a toll-free, private
sector operated telephone number, staffed by multilingual
operators, to provide assistance to international tourists
coping with an emergency.
(c) Membership.--The Task Force shall be composed of the following
members:
(1) The Secretary of Commerce.
(2) The Secretary of State.
(3) The Secretary of Transportation.
(4) The Chair of the Board of Directors of the United
States National Tourism Organization.
(5) 1 representative from each of 4 organizations serving
on the United States National Tourism Organization Board of
Directors, chosen by consensus of the Board.
(6) Such other representatives of other Federal agencies
and private sector entities as may be determined to be
appropriate to the mission of the Task Force by the Chairman.
(d) Chairman.--The Secretary of Commerce shall be Chairman of the
Task Force. The Task Force shall meet at least twice each year. Each
member of the Task Force shall furnish necessary assistance to the Task
Force.
(e) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Chairman of the Task Force shall submit to
the President and to Congress a report on the results of the review
under subsection (b), including proposed amendments to existing laws or
regulations as may be appropriate to implement such recommendations.
SEC. 102. TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY SATELLITE SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTING.
The Secretary of Commerce shall complete, as soon as may be
practicable, a satellite system of accounting for the travel and
tourism industry which will highlight the amounts spent for travel and
tourism.
TITLE II--INTERNATIONAL MARKETING PROGRAM
SEC. 201. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Authorization.--Subject to subsection (b), there are authorized
to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the purpose of
funding international promotional activities by the United States
National Tourism Organization to help brand, position, and promote the
United States as the premiere travel and tourism destination in the
world.
(b) Restrictions on Use of Funds.--None of the funds appropriated
under subsection (a) may be--
(1) disbursed until matching funds are committed by the
private sector--for each dollar collected from the private
sector, $1 in appropriated funds may be disbursed;
(2) used for the general and administrative expenses of
operating the United States National Tourism Organization;
(3) used for purposes other than researching and marketing
designed to promote the United States as the premiere travel
and tourism destination in the world.
The general and administrative expenses of the Organization shall be
borne by the private sector through such means as the Board of
Directors of the Organization shall determine.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than March 30 of each year in
which funds are made available under subsection (a), the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a detailed report setting forth--
(1) an analysis of the impact of international tourism on
the United States economy, including, as specifically as
practicable, changes in the United States market share of
international tourism in general and as measured against
specific countries and regions;
(2) an analysis of the impact of expenditures made pursuant
to this section on international tourism on the United States
trade balance;
(3) an analysis of other relevant economic impacts as a
result of expenditures made pursuant to this section; and
(4) the expenditure of appropriated funds.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1811)
Referred to the House Committee on Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials.
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