Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the travel and tourism industry is an integral part of the economy of the United States, worth approximately $1,300,000,000,000 and supporting approximately 15,000,000 jobs in the United States in 2024, according to the U.S. Travel Association; (2) the United States is a global leader in the trade of travel and tourism services; (3) according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce, travel and tourism was the top services export of the United States in 2024, which— (A) accounted for 19 percent of all United States services exports and 7 percent of all United States exports; (B) were worth approximately $214,000,000,000; and (C) supported an approximate $35,000,000,000 trade surplus; (4) Canada and Mexico are important trading partners for the travel and tourism economy of the United States, typically accounting for approximately half of international visitations to the United States; (5) Canada is the top source of international visitors to the United States, with approximately 20,400,000 visits in 2024, generating approximately $20,500,000,000 in spending and supporting approximately 140,000 jobs in the United States; (6) Mexico is another top source of international visitors to the United States, generating billions of dollars for the economy of the United States and supporting thousands of jobs in the United States; (7) it is in the interest of people in the United States to travel efficiently and openly to Canada and Mexico; (8) the USMCA underpins much of trade in North America and provides an important channel for discussions and activities that further the competitiveness and economic growth of the United States; and (9) the establishment of a Travel and Tourism Trade Working Group under the USMCA would help to support the continued growth of the tourism industry in North America and the good-paying jobs that industry supports.