Tourism supporting US economy

WASHINGTON - Reuters

The Disney World is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the US.

More people from around the world are holding court with Disney World princesses and pondering the Grand Canyon’s depths this year, all the while boosting the U.S. economy, according to a White House report released on Sept. 19 that found international tourism to the United States is growing.

The number of international visitors to the United States rose 10 percent in the first three months of 2012 from the same period in 2011, the report found, which estimated that demand for tourist visas would grow almost 19 percent this year from last.

“The demand in travel to the United States, whether it’s leisure or to buy things, has always been there. What hasn’t been there in recent years was a process that made the United States attractive,” said Geoff Freeman, chief operating officer at U.S. Travel Association, which represents the travel industry.

He said security policies put in place after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 had made traveling to the United States more complicated and recent changes have led directly to more international visitors.

Last January, President Barack Obama ordered the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to streamline applications for tourist visas, build up consulates’ capabilities to handle visa requests, and increase efficiency in customs, with special attention given to China and Brazil.

Obama, bidding for reelection in November, is trying to lower a national unemployment rate stuck above 8 percent for 43 straight months and has turned to tourism to create jobs. Ultimately, the United States is aiming to attract 100 million visitors annually by 2021.

A little more than 7.5 million Americans hold tourism-related jobs, and the sector offers promise for growth. In July, the amount spent by foreign travelers rose by $30 million from June to $13.7 billion, the Commerce Department said last week.

“Tourism is a bright spot in our economy,” Danielle Gray, deputy director of the National Economic Council, said on a call with reporters. “While we’ve made a lot of progress, we know there’s more work that needs to be done to capitalize on a rising global middle class and emerging economies.” Demand from Brazil for tourist and short-term business visas rose 38 percent in the first six months of 2012 from the first half of 2011, and by 48 percent in China, said the report, which added that visits to the United States from China could nearly triple by 2016.