Home » United States » United States to Announce Breakthrough Innovations to Enhance Travel Safety and Convenience for Travelers Around the World
Friday, June 21, 2024
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The U.S. Commission has outlined five steps to boost travel, aiming to improve safety and visitor experience.
Recent efforts by the U.S. Travel Association and the Committee on Seamless and Safe Travels aim to revolutionize the safety and facilitation of travel in the United States, increase the United States’ attractiveness to travelers around the world, and accelerate recovery relative to other countries.
During a recent visit to the UK, a committee led by former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan worked with major UK airports and airlines, as well as US government officials, to review travel modernisation strategies. Meetings included executives from London Heathrow, Gatwick and Edinburgh airports, as well as senior officials from Virgin Atlantic Airways, International Airlines Group, British Airways and the US Embassy in London.
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The United States has built strong partnerships with the United Kingdom and other allies to introduce groundbreaking improvements in travel safety and facilitation. The Committee highlights several key initiatives that require Federal action:
Eliminating restrictions on liquids and similar items in carry-on baggage; Expanding the One-Stop Security Program to allow travelers and their baggage from certain international airports to skip redundant screening in the U.S. for connecting flights; Increasing pre-screening at select foreign airports to conduct screening before travelers land in the U.S.; Using biometric authentication to enhance security, improve the travel experience, and protect privacy, from visa processing to customs inspections to passenger screening; Overhauling U.S. visitor visa processing to accommodate increasing travel demand.
These measures are intended to both improve safety and facilitate travel.
A recent Euromonitor International study ranked the United States 17th out of 18 major countries in global travel competitiveness. This result prompted the creation of a committee dedicated to devising strategies to position the United States as a top destination for international travelers and to developing a new vision and policy recommendations to modernize travel, strengthen U.S. competitiveness and foster growth.
“Now is the time for U.S. officials to step up and deploy the tools available to our airports and borders to prepare to safely welcome millions of newcomers,” said Jeff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “With the World Cup, Summer Olympics and other milestone events of the decade on the horizon, to fully reap the benefits of being a host nation, we must be prepared to efficiently and safely process millions of travelers.”
“The Committee's important work is nearing its midpoint, with a clear focus on security-based solutions that will provide the United States with a roadmap to best-in-class traveler safety measures and increase the share of travelers from the United States,” Freeman said.
The committee's report on seamless and safe travel is expected to be presented to lawmakers and government officials in Washington this fall.
