WASHINGTON,
DC - August 24, 2011 – In a call
with journalists today, Roger
Dow, president and CEO of the U.S.
Travel Association, discussed the impact of 9/11 on the travel
industry in
advance of the ten year anniversary and outlined a series of
forward-thinking principles
that will strengthen security and help eliminate barriers that are
discouraging
travel to and within the United States.
With a focus on reducing traveler
wait times, improving customer service, and replacing a
one-size-fits-all
approach with a risk-based approach, the principles
strike a balance between security and travel facilitation.
“The decade following 9/11 has seen
significant changes in the way Americans, and those who visit America,
travel,”
said Dow. “We must continue keeping travelers safe with the highest
level of
security, but we must incorporate principles that improve facilitation
and
encourage travel.”
Dow also provided economic data
since 9/11:
- Since 9/11, international travel
has represented a lost opportunity for the U.S. economy and American
jobs. While global long-haul travel grew 40 percent from 2000 to 2010,
overseas travel to the United States during this same timeframe rose
just two percent. Despite more travelers worldwide, our slice of the
pie shrunk, with U.S. market share of the global travel market dropping
from 17 percent in 2000 to 12.4 percent in 2010.
- If America had simply kept pace
with the growth in global long-haul international travel in the decade
after 9/11, 78 million more travelers would have visited the United
States, adding a total of $606 billion to the U.S. economy and
supporting more than 467,000 additional U.S. jobs annually.
- The past decade has been
difficult for business travel, with total volume declining 21 percent
between 2000 and 2010. This was due to the immediate impact of 9/11 and
by the meetings crisis in the late 2000s. Business travel returned to
growth mode in 2010, increasing nearly 4 percent, and growth is
expected through 2014, although at a much slower rate ranging from 1.2
percent to 1.7 percent annually.
- Leisure travel has been quite
resilient in the decade since 9/11, with leisure travel volume
increasing 17 percent since 2000, despite a few years of negative
growth. This growth underscores the importance of travel to Americans.
Slow but steady growth of about 2 percent annually is expected through
2014.
With the domestic economy again appearing
to decelerate, attracting
more international visitors to the United States and improving
the TSA security experience will play an important role in creating job
opportunities for Americans. Implementing the principles
set forth today by the U.S. Travel Association will help make America
more
secure and competitive in the global marketplace.
The U.S. Travel Association is the national,
non-profit organization representing all components of the travel
industry that
generates $1.8 trillion in economic output and supports 14.1 million
jobs. U.S.
Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States.
Visit www.ustravel.org.
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