European Union: $800 Million. United States: Zero.

February 13, 2008

Europe Set to Adopt U.S. Air Travel Security Policy, But Ups
Ante with $800 Million Communications Campaign

The European Commission today proposed that the European Union (EU) adopt the U.S. air security policy of collecting fingerprints from inbound foreign air passengers.

Unlike the United States, EU nations spend, collectively, well over $800 million (in U.S. dollars) to promote travel to their countries, which goes a long way toward assuring potential travelers they remain welcome.

The United States has no such promotion effort.

Without an effective communications strategy, new U.S. security policies are easily misconstrued as being intrusive or unwelcoming.

The Solution? The Travel Promotion Act (S.1661 / H.R. 3232) would establish a nationally coordinated travel promotion campaign jointly managed by government and the travel industry to communicate U.S. security and entry policies. Creating the public-private partnership envisioned in the Act is the best way to get the job done because:

• The U.S. government must be involved in communicating government policy;
• The U.S. travel industry has the expertise in advertising and the understanding of international travel markets required to communicate effectively to potential visitors; and
• Funding comes from the private sector and foreign travelers, not from American taxpayers.

For more information on the importance of overseas travel to the United States, visit www.poweroftravel.org/pdf/DAP_blueprint.pdf.

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