Advancing the JOLT Act Would Help U.S. Score in Competition for International Travelers

JOLT Act Expands Visa Waiver Program Adding Billions to U.S. Economy

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. July 14, 2014

Washington, DC - July 12, 2014 - The United States soccer team may have lost the World Cup, but the USA has an opportunity to score in a different kind of global competition - winning over international travelers who support local economies and create thousands of jobs. To do so, the U.S. must maximize its opportunity to capture worldwide travelers by advancing the Jobs Originated through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act (H.R. 1354) and expanding the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

As part of a renewed effort to push the JOLT Act through Congress, the Discover America Partnership (DAP) released a series of infographics that demonstrate what can be immediately gained by extending the VWP to friendly, developed countries. The infographic series, distributed in coordination with the World Cup, is part of the DAP's “Golden Goal Challenge.”

To win the “golden goal challenge” to boost international travel, the U.S. must open its doors to more visitors from friendly, stable countries. The U.S. has already benefited significantly from expanding VWP to countries such as South Korea and Chile. Since South Korea was admitted into the program in 2008, spending in the U.S. by South Korean visitors has increased 69 percent. Estimates show that spending from Chilean visitors will likely triple during Chile's first year in VWP. If Congress passes the JOLT Act, the U.S. would immediately add $7.7 billion to the economy and 47,600 new American jobs by admitting Brazil alone.

As Germany and Argentina prepare to face off in the final match of the World Cup, countries across the globe are competing to win international travelers. The JOLT Act, which would help countries such as Brazil, Poland, Israel and Croatia qualify for VWP, is an important step toward recapturing the United States' historic share of international travelers, which has recently fallen from 17 percent to 13 percent.

To discover the economic benefits of expanding VWP to countries such as Brazil, Poland,

Israel and Croatia, open the attachment or click: http://www.discoveramericapartnership.org/website/data/uploads/documents/jolt-act-multiple.pdf.

To find out more about the substantial economic benefits of passing the JOLT Act, please visit: www.DiscoverAmericaPartnership.org/JOLTAct.

About Discover America Partnership

The Discover America Partnership (DAP) is a coalition and grassroots campaign effort to advance visa and entry reforms to enable the U.S. to regain our historical share of the booming world travel market. DAP members reflect a broad range of industries and missions which share the need for efficient overseas travel to the U.S.-whether it's to negotiate business deals, host global conferences and trade shows, or welcome international tourists.