Brand USA Faces Extinction Under Trump's Proposed Budget

Brand USA is the United States travel industry's latest potential victim of President Donald Trump's four-month term as the national tourism marketing organization's funding faces elimination under the president's fiscal 2018 budget. The U.S. Travel Association confirmed via email Monday night that the budget calls for the elimination of the organization, which was approved by Congress through the Travel Promotion Act and signed into law in 2010 and began operations in 2011. The revenue of the national destination marketing organization would be made available to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection organization, according to the budget document [see full text below]. Congress voted in 2014 to reauthorize Brand USA's funding through 2020 and the organization has traditionally had bipartisan support. Many U.S. travel brands also lobbied the federal government for years to create such an organization to boost international travel marketing. "It’s especially perplexing that the elimination of Brand USA is on the table when both Commerce Secretary Ross and [Office of Management and Budget] Director Mulvaney each have supported it previously," said U.S. Travel's CEO Roger Dow, in a statement. The funding for Brand USA, which is a non-profit, private partnership, comes from a mix of donations from more than 700 partner organizations, and matching funds. Taxpayer money isn't used to fund Brand USA's marketing efforts. Instead, contributions from partners such as tourism boards are matched by fees international travelers pay to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program. The prospect of elimination was a surprise, said Anne Madison, a spokesperson for Brand USA, and the organization didn't get advanced warning of the budget's propo