“Security is a top priority for the U.S. travel community, but it’s critical to balance both sides of the ledger: make clear who is not welcome, but also who remains welcome.” That’s how Roger Dow sees it.
With the revised executive order on visas and immigration expected any day from the Trump administration, the president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association spoke out on the need for a balanced and thoughtful approach to the new rules. “Not doing so would be to double-down on doubts, discontent, and division that risk significant economic harm,” he said in a statement.
Noting that travel is the top employer in 49 states and the District of Columbia, and the country’s number-one services export, Dow believes that international travelers may have “drastically misunderstood Trump’s intentions as wanting to discourage international travel generally,” and that the new executive order provides “a golden opportunity to address some unintended consequences of his initial travel order when he reissues it in the coming days. Neither he, nor the U.S. economy, can afford to squander it.”
The executive director and COO of the Global Business Travel Association, Michael McCormick, also put out a statement this week, following President Trump’s address to Congress. In it McCormick applauded the administration’s commitment to investing in infrastructure improvements, particularly transportation infrastructure, and advised a careful approach to the revised rules on immigration.
“As we await a new executive order on travel, we urge the Trump administration to keep in mind the importance of business travel to our nation’s economy,” McCormick said. “Closing our borders sends a message to the world that the United States is closed for business. Of course, security always comes first, but GBTA has always been a proponent for expanding proven security programs and developing new technology to facilitate information-sharing among governments to ensure travelers are always vetted properly, making us all more safe and secure.”
