WASHINGTON, DC, May 8, 2008. Writing in Sunday's Washington Post, Joseph Joffe, publisher-editor of Die Zeit, a German weekly newspaper, says, "The perception that U.S. visa and entry policies do not welcome international visitors is the largest factor in the decline of overseas travelers."

On the same day, The Sunday Times of London published an article belittling new traveler-friendly passenger screening measures, "Full-body scanners producing images of airline passengers naked are to be introduced in America as part of a new scheme intended to promote a 'stress-free airport experience.'"

As these pieces and many foreign press articles demonstrate, negative perceptions of the U.S. entry experience are out of proportion to what travelers actually encounter.

But who is telling America's side of the story? Our government is silent. The private sector, on its own, is not equipped to better communicate the latest security policies.

• The Solution? The Travel Promotion Act (S.1661 / H.R. 3232) would establish a nationally coordinated travel promotion campaign jointly managed by government and the private sector to better communicate America's travel policies and welcome overseas visitors. The legislation has the support of more than 190 members of the House of Representatives and 41 senators.

For more information on the importance of overseas travel to the United States, visit www.poweroftravel.org.

The Discover America Partnership is an initiative of the Travel Industry Association. It is an effort led by some of America's foremost business leaders to strengthen America's image around the globe. These leaders recognize that public diplomacy is not the sole responsibility of government, but also of business and the American people.