Alexis Bailey
NJTIA Government Affairs Director
The New Jersey Tourism Industry Association (NJTIA) was proud to join the U.S. Travel Association for their annual Destination Capitol Hill (DCH) advocacy event on April 1st and 2nd in Washington, D.C.. With the U.S. marking one of the most historic opportunities for travel in our lifetime with North America hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, America’s semi-quincentennial in 2026 and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, it is more important than ever to advocate for support of the travel and tourism industry.
New Jersey stands at the forefront of these opportunities with several matches, including the World Cup final, being played at MetLife Stadium and our vast history and prime location between New York and Philadelphia for the celebration of America’s semi-quincentennial.
This year, DCH had over 400 travel leaders from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C. in attendance. These leaders met with 90 Senate offices and more than half of the members of the House of Representatives.
NJTIA members Jennifer Costa (Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce), Adam Perle (ArtPride New Jersey), and Dr. Wanda Lundy (Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce) and NJTIA’s Director of Government Affairs Alexis Bailey were pleased to advocate to the New Jersey delegation to strengthen our industry as we prepare to be on the world stage for this mega decade of events.
The first day of DCH began with keynote speeches and panel discussions from political and industry experts who explained the current political climate and its impact on tourism as well as key priorities for the industry and advocacy strategies. In addition, Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Gary Peters (D-MI) and Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) were awarded Travel Champion Awards for their leadership and dedication in supporting efforts for more efficient and competitive travel initiatives.
After a day of training and presentations, travel leaders headed to The Hill for congressional meetings. Jennifer, Adam, Wanda and Alexis joined New Jerseyans in meeting with Congressman Rob Menendez, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, and staff members from Senator Cory Booker and Bonnie Watson-Coleman, Frank Pallone, and Thomas Kean Jr.’s offices to discuss crucial steps that Congress must take to improve travel and ensure we are fully prepared for these historic events.
Key priorities shared with the Congressional offices included:
· Enhancing the travel experiences at our nation’s airports by increasing the number of Customs and Border Patrol agents and Air Traffic Control employees as well as modernizing technology infrastructure.
o According to the U.S. Travel Association, the New York New Jersey air space is operating at 10% less than their capacity due to lack of staffing at major airports, including at Newark Liberty International Airport.
· Streamlining visa and reducing wait times to ensure international visitors are able to come to the United States for major events like the World Cup.
o Many countries, particularly those in South America, have visa wait times that are hundreds of days long. In some cases, if a hopeful tourist is not currently in the queue for a visa, it is too late for them to apply for one to attend a World Cup match. This issue must be remedied immediately to ensure our nation and the state do not squander the opportunity to welcome visitors for these events.
· Investing $3.5 million to fund the position of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to enhance our nation’s focus on tourism.
o Last Congress, legislation passed to create this position, but it lacks funding to fill the role and hire staff. Congress has the opportunity to fully fund this position during the current budget and reconciliation process.
· Maintaining support and funding for Brand USA , the nation’s destination marketing organization, in order to promote traveling to the United States of America around the world.
o Brand USA is funded through private investment from travel industry companies and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) fees which are charged to international travelers. Congress can ensure ESTA fee revenue remains properly appropriated to Brand USA to conduct their important work.
The NJTIA team advocated that focusing on these priorities is imperative to ensure we do not squander this opportunity to welcome 40 million international visitors and generate $100 billion in economic activity in the coming years for these events.
Even before these major events, travel and tourism is a bedrock of the U.S. economy. In 2023, $1.3 trillion was spent by travelers in the U.S., which contributed to an economic footprint of $2.9 trillion and 15 million jobs. In New Jersey, tourism had a $51.3 billion economic impact and generated $5.4 billion in state and local tax revenue from 124 million visitors in 2024.
Though the DCH event has ended, the advocacy for travel and tourism does not stop there. The U.S. Travel Association will continue to advocate for Congress and the Trump Administration to prioritize travel and capitalize on the mega decade of events. On the state level, NJTIA continues to push back on legislation and tax policies that would harm the industry and work with our partners at RevNJ and the New York New Jersey FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Committee to prepare for these events.
For more information on NJTIA’s advocacy efforts visit the advocacy page of our website here.