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US Travel Association (USTA) economists are sounding the alarm on the US Department of State’s low prioritization of visitor visa (B-1/B-2) processing, which they assert is severely hindering the US economic recovery. According to new analysis by USTA economists, the delay is keeping an estimated 6.6 million potential visitors from traveling to the States in 2023 at a loss of $11.6 billion in projected spending as wait times for visitor visa interviews now exceed 400 days for first-time applicants from top source markets.
“Outrageous wait times send a message to travelers that the United States is closed for business,” says USTA President & CEO Geoff Freeman. “Unacceptable visa delays are harming the American workforce and it is long past time for the Biden administration to solve the problem.”
The US Department of Commerce’s newly released National Travel and Tourism Strategy identifies inbound travel as an economic priority and sets a national goal of welcoming 90 million international visitors by 2027. However, the State Department’s perceived lack of urgency on this issue is in direct conflict with the Commerce Department’s objectives, according to the USTA.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman
“Excessive visa delays are essentially a travel ban—no one is going to wait 1-2 years to interview with a US government official to gain permission to visit the United States,” Freeman added. “Our new research shows that millions of potential visitors will simply choose other destinations—destinations that effectively compete for their business. … With a recession looming on the horizon, the United States simply cannot afford to turn away billions of dollars in visitor spending.”
While the State Department has made progress in processing other visa categories—such as H-2B and student visas—first-time applicants for visitor visas are neglected by the agency, according to the association. Per the USTA report, it is in the nation’s economic interest for the State Department to accelerate interviews as these visitors account for a significant portion of U.S. travel exports. Spending losses from just three top markets—Brazil, India, and Mexico—could total more than $5 billion in 2023, according to the data.
A new Morning Consult survey conducted of likely international travelers in Brazil, India, and Mexico (who do not already have a valid US visa) found strong interest in visiting the United States, but the majority said they would likely choose another country to visit if wait times for visa interviews exceeded a year (61 percent of Brazilians, 66 percent of Indians, and 71 percent of Mexicans).
In Brazil, India and Mexico alone, the US is losing the ability to compete for:
- Brazil: 3.6 million visitors and $15.6 billion in spending
- India: 3.5 million visitors and $13.3 billion in spending
- Mexico: 7.1 million visitors and $4.1 billion in spending
Thanks to efforts by the association, Congresswomen María Elvira Salazar (Fla.-27) and Susie Lee (Nev.-03) introduced the bipartisan Visitor Visa Wait Time Reduction Act (H.R.9141) last week to tackle the issue and shift resources to reduce the backlog.
Visit ustravel.org for more information.
[10.11.22]
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- Category: Industry News
GBTA Executive Director Suzanne Neufang
The October 2022 Business Travel Recovery Poll recently released by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) unveils the latest insights and sentiments from a survey of almost 600 business travel buyers, suppliers, and other stakeholders around the world. This survey marks the 29th poll in the GBTA series since the pandemic began to understand the path forward as the industry navigates recovery.
“We continue to see progress as business travel makes its way back to being a $1.4 trillion global industry, pre-pandemic. It is also important to understand the context of global business travel’s recovery. Asia is still opening its borders, international business travel in general started picking up only earlier this year across the globe, and the US has only permitted unrestricted travel since June,” says GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang. “Even as this latest poll shows economic considerations have eclipsed COVID-19 concerns, the industry is showing positive indicators and sentiment for 2023, a strong sign as business travel continues to come back over time.”
Here are some of the key takeaways from the October GBTA Business Travel Recovery Poll:
- Business travel volume continues to rebound when tracking recovery to 2019 pre-pandemic levels. On average, travel managers estimate their company’s domestic business travel volume is back to 63 percent and international business travel is back to 50 percent of their 2019 pre-pandemic levels. In addition, 26 percent of respondents estimate their international business travel volume has recovered to more than 70 percent of their company’s pre-pandemic levels.
- Economic considerations have eclipsed COVID concerns for the industry, but most companies are not limiting their business travel specifically due to economic concerns. When asked to choose among factors that are more likely to limit business travel next year, 80 percent of travel suppliers say economic conditions while only 4 percent cited COVID. However, 75 percent of travel buyers surveyed say their company had no immediate plans to limit business travel because of economic concerns.
- Domestic travel recovery remains leads in terms of recovery, but international travel is closing the gap. Currently, 86 percent of survey respondents say non-essential domestic business travel is sometimes or usually allowed at their company. Additionally, 74 percent say the same for non-essential international business travel.
- By far, business travel respondents expect more recovery and growth for 2023 compared to this year. Over three-fourths (78 percent) of travel managers expect the number of business trips taken by employees at their company will be higher or much higher in 2023 versus 2022. Among travel suppliers, 85 percent expect the number of bookings by corporate clients will be higher or much higher in 2023. Additionally, 80 percent of suppliers expect travel spending by corporate clients will be higher or much higher in 2023 year over year.
GBTA conducted this poll among its members and other business travel industry professionals including travel buyers and travel suppliers across the globe from September 20-26, 2022. A total of 594 responses were received.
View the complete October 2022 GBTA Business Travel Recovery Poll results and key highlights, as well as the full series of GBTA recovery polls.
Visit gbta.org for more information.
[10.11.22]
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- Category: Industry News
Each year, there are three surefire signs that autumn has arrived: the leaves are on the ground, pumpkin-spice flavor can’t be escaped, and the fall CD/NLA Show is here! With that in mind, Chauffeur Driven and the National Limousine Association are excited to announce the roster for one of the CD/NLA Show’s most popular events, the Operator Mentoring Program.
Ever wish you could pick the brain a successful and forward-thinking CEO? Good news: You can during this highly interactive session! Each group conversation is led by a Mentor—an expert industry veteran who has the chops and know-how to advise and inspire—but the topics are driven by you and your fellow group members. You can ask questions, get advice, and swap ideas and tips with the Mentor as well as your group. This is one of the most important events you can join if developing and strengthening your operation for the long haul are key parts of your big-picture plan. One of the core missions of any CD/NLA event is the exchange of knowledge, so who better to learn from than your peers?
Mentors include:
Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide
Brett Barenholtz of Boston Car Service/Above All Transportation
Carla Boccio of Buffalo Limousine
Kristina Bouweiri of Reston Limousine
Maurice Brewster of Mosaic Global Transportation
Eric Devlin of Premier Transportation
Sean Duval of Golden Limousine International
Athena Grimm of BAC Transportation
Joe Gulino of Gem Limousine Worldwide
Tiffany Hinton of MOTEV
George Jacobs of Windy City Limousine & Bus
Michelle Miller of Elite Coach Transportation
Christina Nguyen of Concierge Limousine
Gus Ortis of Executive Transportation
Joe Reinhardt of Carolina Limousine & Coach
Roberto Rodriguez of First Class Destination Solutions
Douglas Schwartz of Executive Ground Transportation
David Seelinger of EmpireCLS Worldwide
Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide
Rick Versace of A1A Global Ground
The Operator Mentor Program, which will take place on Sunday, November 13 at 4:30 p.m., requires pre-registration. All slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to register for the event. Register early for your best chance at picking your preferred Mentor, but note that the roster may be subject to change. In the event that your group is full, you will be accommodated and welcomed into another group.
If you haven’t already registered for the show or booked your stay at our host property, the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, don’t delay (NLA members can save an additional $75 off their show registration rate). The property—conveniently located minutes from Washington, D.C.—is offering an exclusive room rate of $239 per night for all CD/NLA Show attendees. This is an unbelievable price for this luxurious all-under-one-roof venue. Visit the show website to secure your accommodations.
Visit cdnlashow.com for more information.
[10.11.22]