The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) escorted a group of more than 50 active member tour operators and associate members to Washington, D.C., June 3-4, 2025, to advocate for tourism industry issues impacting the industry, from passport and visa processing to adequate funding of Brand USA and the National Park Service, among other urgent topics.
“In the 13th year of the USTOA Congressional Caucus, our advocacy efforts felt more important than ever,” said USTOA President and CEO Terry Dale. “The Congressional Caucus is a vitally critical forum to engage directly with lawmakers on topics that will ensure the continued success and resilience of our industry and lead us toward a more responsible tourism future.”
The morning of June 4 was packed with informative presentations on the “state of the industry” from a number of industry representatives, including Fred Dixon, president and CEO of Brand USA; Jennifer Aguinaga, acting deputy assistant secretary for Travel and Tourism and director, National Travel and Tourism Office; and Emily Douce, deputy vice president of Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. Guest speakers included Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the Presidential Task Force for 2026 FIFA World Cup, who spoke about initiatives to improve visa wait times and approval as the U.S. is set to host this international event, and U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi (D-NY), who provided insights into the top issues facing Congress.
In the afternoon, nine teams of USTOA members visited the Capitol for meetings with leading members of Congress to discuss the core issues. Promoting U.S. tourism abroad with continued funding of Brand USA, urging Congress to fund the administration’s Air Traffic Control modernization plan, the impact of tariffs on international and outbound U.S. travel, supporting National Park Service funding and sufficient staffing, encouraging improvement in passport application processing delays, and urging expedited visa processing and backlog reduction are among the topics discussed.
Additional conversation included the INVEST in Our Communities Act, which aims to boost much-needed tourism and economic development in light of the recent drop off in Canadian travel to the U.S.; supporting the DOT-Aviation Consumer Protection; and supporting travel infrastructure including the backing expansion of TSA Pre-check and Global Entry as well as phased enforcement and flexibility for REAL ID until full compliance on May 7, 2027.
Dale continued, “USTOA remains committed to being an advocate for responsible tourism, and these meetings proved to be a highly effective platform to communicate that message to key lawmakers. We have learned that our collective voice does matter and can make a difference. The participation of our members and the members of Congress who took the time to engage in discussions on the issues that matter most to our industry is deeply appreciated.”
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