WASHINGTON – Last week, the U.S. Travel Association’s Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel met for two days to advance its work on innovating the travel process and identifying how the United States can more effectively compete for travelers from around the world. The commission toured Washington Dulles International Airport with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Systems Integration Facility near Reagan National Airport with TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
The Commission also held discussions with US Travel’s Airport and Airlines Advisory Group and other key industry leaders and received input and potential recommendations for consideration in its final report, expected this fall.
CBP and TSA are taking important steps to improve the travel process, and we applaud their efforts. It is clear that decades of underinvestment by Congress, combined with a lack of coordination at the federal level, have left these agencies in dire straits. With the World Cup and Summer Olympics just around the corner, now is the time for federal leadership and investment in innovative initiatives and technologies. Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the US Travel Association
Thank you to CBP and TSA for hosting the Commission for two days. These meetings were incredibly insightful as we work to develop recommendations to improve the travel process. It is clear that technology is evolving rapidly and progress is being made, but greater investment now could accelerate the deployment of the technology and significantly improve security. Kevin McAleenan, Chair of the Commission for Seamless and Safe Travel
We were delighted to welcome our partners from US Travel and the Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel to TSIF, where we are testing new and emerging checkpoint technologies in a live environment. Their support is invaluable to our shared goal of improving security effectiveness and efficiency, as well as the overall customer experience. TSA Administrator David Pekoske
Since its launch in January, the commission has worked with government and industry partners in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as the United Kingdom. US Travel launched the commission following a Euromonitor International survey that ranked the U.S. 17th out of 18 major economies in travel competitiveness – a particularly difficult result to correct as the U.S. prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2028 Summer Olympics and 2034 Winter Olympics. The commission is expected to release its recommendations to improve the travel process in the fall.
About the US Travel Association
The U.S. Travel Association is the national, nonprofit organization representing the $1.3 trillion travel industry, which is a vital contributor to our nation’s economy and success. U.S. Travel creates programs and insights and advocates for policies to increase travel to and within the United States. For more information and recovery data, visit ustravel.org.
