Obama unveils plans to boost international tourism, bolster US economy

President Obama is ramping up efforts to smooth the way for more foreign travelers to visit the United States in an effort to boost job creation and bolster the nation's economic growth. 

During a speech at Disney World on Thursday, the president will detail an executive order as part his "We Can’t Wait" jobs initiative to make the United States the world’s top travel and tourism destination, a move backed by retailers and travel, trade and business groups.

"Every year, tens of millions of tourists from all over the world come and visit America," Obama is expected to say in his speech in Orlando, Fla. "And the more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work."

Travel and tourism is a $1.2 trillion sector of the U.S. economy — nearly 3 percent of gross domestic product.

Obama is unveiling a multi-pronged plan that includes creating a pilot program that will streamline and speed up the visa process for certain applicants in China and Brazil, the fastest growing markets for U.S. travel. Proposed changes include the ability to waive interviews for some very low-risk applicants such as individuals from any country renewing visas or, in Brazil, younger or older first-time applicants. 

The administration also is pressing the State and Homeland Security departments to increase by 40 percent visa processing for travelers from China and Brazil in 2012. 

“Speeding up the visa process is one of the quickest ways to boost the U.S. economy," said Matthew Shay, president and chief executive of the National Retail Federation. "There are millions of citizens of nations with growing economies who want to come to the United States to shop for brands that are known around the world," he said. 

"We shouldn’t let long lines at U.S. embassies and consulates make them decide to take their shopping dollars elsewhere.”

In November, the State Department announced a plan to hire 100 more officers in China and Brazil — 50 in each country — vowing to double the number of visas over two years.

The State Department issued more than 7.5 million visas in the last fiscal year, a 17 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. 

In the 2011 fiscal year, consular officers processed more than 1 million visa applications in China and more than 800,000 in Brazil, a 34 percent increase in China and a 42 percent jump in Brazil. 

The plan will allow U.S. officials to expand the number of visas to more than 2.2 million in China by 2013.

The number of travelers from China is expected to increase by 135 percent by 2016 and Brazil by 274 percent. These visitors are expected to spend at least $6,000 and $5,000 each during their trips — above the $4,000 average spent by other international tourists. 

Obama also wants to ensure that 80 percent of visa applicants are interviewed within three weeks of receipt of application. Visas can take upward of 120 days to process in China and Brazil; advocates of shortening wait times want to see processing cut to between 12 and 30 days. 

The administration also wants to expand the visa waiver program — the top legislative priority of the U.S. Travel Association — which allows travelers from certain countries to visit the United States without a visa. More than 60 percent of international tourists do not need a visa to visit the United States. 

The president is asking to add Taiwan to the program because the nation has "undertaken significant efforts to improve its law enforcement and document security standards to meet the strict requirements for eligibility." 

Since November 2008, the Homeland Security Department has added nine countries to the program, for a total of 36 countries.

The U.S. Travel Association says visitors from South Korea have increased 50 percent since being approved for the program. 

Also part of the expansion plan is to make permanent the Global Entry program, which was created in 2008 to speed up clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers once they arrive the United States. This final rule will allow the program to be expanded to an additional four airports in Minneapolis, Minn.; Charlotte, N.C.; Denver; and Phoenix, making it available in airports that handle about 97 percent of international travelers.

The president also is calling for creation of a task force — led by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Commerce Secretary John Bryson — to develop recommendations that promote domestic and international travel opportunities, with a focus on increasing tourism and recreation jobs by promoting visits to such places as national parks, wildlife refuges, cultural and historic sites and monuments. 

The executive order also calls for the appointment of a new group of corporate executives to the 32-member U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which advises the Commerce secretary on policies affecting the travel and tourism industry. Bryson is swearing in the new members on Thursday. 

In 2010, more than 400 million people visited those outdoor areas, pumping nearly $50 billion into the economy and creating 400,000 jobs, according to the White House. 

Eco-tourism and outdoor recreation has larger economic effects on states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, according to the White House. 

The Commerce Department also must establish and maintain a public website that combines statistics from across the federal government to assist industry and travelers in understanding visa processes and entry times into the United States.