Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1515188
T R AV E L D A TA Due to slow recovery and declining U.S. global travel market share, U.S. Travel Association commissioned Euromonitor International to assess the competitiveness of the U.S. relative to other top countries for global travel. The U.S. ranked 17th out of 18 coun- tries analyzed, stemming from decades of underinvestment and a lack of focus and coordination from the federal gov- ernment. Inefficiencies in the U.S. travel sys- tem threaten the economy. One example: The U.S. risks losing 39 million visitors and $150 billion in spending over the next 10 years due to excessive visitor visa wait times. U.S. Travel launched a Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel, comprised of former government officials and private-sector executives, to develop a vision and policy roadmap to modernize the travel experience and increase U.S. competitive- ness. U.S. Travel Association recently released a study that found the United States ranks 17th out of 18 top travel markets in terms of global competitiveness, according to Euromonitor International. Decades of underinvestment and a lack of focus and coordination from federal policymakers caused the U.S. to fall behind, while other countries actively apply robust strategies to increase travel and grow economic output. "U.S. officials cannot ignore the bold, decisive steps other nations are taking to advance and modernize their travel economies," said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. "The United States should aspire to lead the way into a new era of seamless and secure travel and capitalize on the many opportunities to grow this critical sector." U.S. Travel commissioned the study to better understand the slow recovery of international inbound travel to the U.S. and how the country can more effectively compete for global travelers in the com- ing decade. While the U.S. is still the most desired destination for global travelers, it slid to third in total visitation (behind Spain and France). In 2023, it is estimated that the United States welcomed nearly 67 million interna- tional visitors—down from 79 million visitors in 2019 and only 84% recovered from pre-pandemic levels, which is far behind other competitors' recovery rates. U.S. global market share for long-haul travel dec- lined from 5.4% in 2019 to 5.3% in 2023. STUNNING NEW RESEARCH RANKS U NITED STATES NEARLY DEAD LAST IN COMPETITION FOR GLOBAL TRAVELERS B M & T ••• January/February 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 47