US simplifies immigration procedures to attract tourists

Strategy travel The US Department of Commerce’s national travel and tourism department has set a target of attracting 90 million international tourists by 2027, with annual revenue of up to $279 billion, higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Tourists walk and pose for photos at Times Square in New York, USA. (Photo: AP)

To accomplish this goal, one of the reforms aimed at the US tourism industry is to simplify and modernize immigration procedures for visitors entering and traveling within the United States.

Along with that, US officials advocate promoting diverse tourism experiences in coastal states, reducing tourism activities that cause large emissions that affect the environment, building a tourism industry that is resistant to environmental pollution. natural disasters, public health threats and the effects of climate change.

According to the US Department of Commerce, in 2019, the country welcomed 79.4 million international visitors. This number decreased to 19.2 million arrivals in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and only increased to 22.1 million arrivals in 2021. As a result, the expenditure from international visitors decreased from 239.4 billion. USD in 2019 to 81 billion USD in 2021.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel industry supported 9.5 million jobs in the US and generated $1.9 trillion in economic output. Therefore, the US Government must do more to support the revival of tourism and ensure the reconstruction of the “smokeless industry” becomes more flexible, sustainable and equitable.

The US tourism industry has had a slower recovery than many other countries, because the country will not relax until November 2021 to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic.

Currently, the US still requires foreign visitors to present a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 and have a negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 in order to enter the country. These regulations have met with opposition from domestic airlines.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo acknowledged maintaining this regulation as a “barrier” for the domestic tourism industry, but did not say when it would be lifted.

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