During the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW conference this week in Orlando, U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said the United States is on track to welcome 100 million international visitors annually by 2021, due to efforts such as expanding the visa waiver program and decreasing visa wait times, according to a report from USA Today. Pritzker said the the Obama administration’s plan to attract international visitors includes increasing the number of countries whose citizens don’t need to obtain visas, streamlining the arrival process at 17 U.S. airports, and expanding a program that allows travelers from other countries to go through customers before boarding their flights to the United States. Last year, the United States welcomed approximately 74 million international visitors who spend an estimated $222 billion, the article stated. Read the full story over at USA Today.
