President Barack Obama is taking steps to increase the number of non-immigrant visas, particularly in China and Brazil, and speed their approval to help create tourism jobs in the U.S.
Obama, who highlighted the initiative yesterday in Orlando, Florida, also called for the Commerce and Interior Departments to make recommendations on promoting domestic and international travel in the U.S., including national parks and historic sites.
“More money spent by more tourists means more business and more jobs,” Obama said at the Walt Disney World theme park. The U.S. should be “the top tourist destination in the world.”
Travel and tourism represented about 2.7 percent of U.S. gross domestic product and supported 7.5 million jobs in 2010, according to a White House statement.
As part of yesterday’s action, he ordered the Departments of State and Homeland Security to increase non-immigrant processing capacity in China and Brazil by 40 percent this year and ensure that 80 percent of those applicants are interviewed within three weeks. The administration is also seeking to speed up clearance for pre-approved, “low-risk” travelers entering the U.S.
Meanwhile, President Obama has appointed an Alaskan to an advisory board for U.S. Travel and Tourism. He chose the CEO of Alaska Wildland Adventures. The appointment is part of a push to boost the tourism economy.
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