The US travel industry has spoken out following the devastating news that Congress is proposing a $80 million cut to Brand USA’s global budget. The cut, proposed on Friday the 6th of June by the US Senate committee, would drastically impact the US tourism industry, putting more than 15 million jobs at risk. A source close to Brand USA told Skift that it would effectively limit Brand USA’s ability to advertise at all.
Put forward by Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, the deal is part of a budget reconciliation process.
In a heartfelt update to LinkedIn, the US Travel Association said, “Brand USA funding remains at serious risk” as it asked individuals to write letters to their local Senator opposing the cuts.
“This funding reduction will significantly impact our entire industry, no matter what sector you serve. Our continued action is now more critical than ever,” it said in the call to action on its website.
It highlighted that the US President Donald Trump had already included the $100 million amount in his budget.
“The President included $100 million for Brand USA in his budget—Congress must do the same to keep the U.S. competitive on the global stage.”
“As the reconciliation process continues, please tell Congress to protect the travel industry—an industry that generates an economic output of $2.9 trillion and supports more than 15 million American jobs.”
Some of the actions it encouraged people to take included signing the industry-wide letter to Congress and sharing the message on social media.
The move comes after 5 members of the Brand USA Board were abruptly sacked back in April. The mass sacking included chair Elliott Ferguson, CEO of Destination DC; vice chair Lauren Bailey, CEO of Upward Projects; Kristen Esposito, principal of Esposito Global Partners; secretary Allen Orr, founder of Orr Immigration Law; and Tim Mapes, chief marketing and communications officer at Delta Air Lines.
Brand USA declined to comment.
Reports: 5 Brand USA board members abruptly fired via email by Trump Administration
