U.S. Travel Leaders Urge Congress to Cut Airport Wait Times to 30 Minutes
Skift Take
President Obama has enacted reforms that have cut visa wait times abroad and increased destination marketing. Policies to create a faster, more seamless entry would be the logical next step, as would releasing more money to pay customs and border control staff.
The U.S. economy is at risk of losing $95 billion and 518,000 jobs over the next five years due to lengthy wait times and long custom lines at airports, the U.S. Travel Association said in an industry call to arms yesterday morning.
The industry group is battling budget restrictions and poor planning that it believes leave airports unable to handle millions of visitor a year. Sixty-six million visitors passed through U.S. border in 2012.
Visitors spend two to three hours in entry lines, which costs U.S. travel-related businesses up to $416 million a year, according to the association's report Gateway to Jobs & Growth: Creating a Better Travel Entry Process published yesterday.
The association, made up of with over 1,3000 member from travel service providers, destinations, and travel associations, doesn't just complain about the economic consequences of lengthy wait time and frustrating entries.
It proposes 20 policy changes
