USTA releases seamless, secure travel policy roadmap

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Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, says existing screening and Customs processes for visitors to the United States of America continue to lag behind other nations, and require urgent attention. Reiterating comments made last May at IPW 2024 in Los Angeles, Freeman’s latest remarks come as a new report released this week by the Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel identified urgent steps needed to ensure President Trump delivers a “golden age of travel,” the authority said. “The current travel processes we are meant to be operational, but they’re not meant to be aspirational,” he said on the release of the roadmap.

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“They’re not meant to build the world’s best travel system, and so do it leading to long delays, they’re using antiquated technology, too few staff.

“We need to seize this opportunity to build a world-class travel system that sets the bar for the rest of the globe,” Freeman said.

“America is staring at a historic opportunity — the question is whether we will seize the moment or fall maddeningly short,” said Freeman. “The next several years will bring unprecedented travel demand that our systems are not prepared to handle. The group’s roadmap is centred on 1) modernised airport screening and customs, 2) eliminating bureaucratic delays, and 3) strengthening national security.

“Washington has a small window to fix major travel pain points and unlock a $100 billion economic opportunity — but it will require a level of urgency that has been missing in recent years.” Freeman spoke of his concern about border processing last May at IPW in Los Angeles, when he said the US was losing foreign travellers due to “entry issues”. This week, the Association said “America is falling behind – and it’s costing us.” The US currently ranks 17th out of 18 countries in a Travel Market Global Competitiveness study, which USTA blamed on “outdated, under-funded, inefficient travel systems.” That study has the UK as number one, followed by France in 2nd and Turkey in 3rd. Australia is ranked 11th. As Freeman highlighted 10 months, the US Travel Association believes America is not ready to host “mega decade events” that will attract millions of international and domestic travellers, posing risks to national security. Those events being the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 2025 Ryder Cup and America’s 250th anniversary.”Now is the time to make American travel the best in the world. To keep America safe and moving. The White House must take the lead on modernising travel so the US is ready to host these global events.” The US Travel Association added that it is “imperative” that a new airport customs process is delivered by the Administration and Congress that “ends long wait times and protects against overstays”. It flagged streamlined processes and adopting the use of latest technologies, such as biometrics.

“With bipartisan support and a new administration in place, America has a once-in-a-generation chance to transform its travel infrastructure,” the organisation said.

“This is the moment to deliver the world-class travel system Americans deserve — and the world expects,” Freeman concluded.

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