Tourism Policy

Tourism Policy

The Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) plays an active role in domestic and international policy issues related to the U.S. travel and tourism industry. The Office fosters the development of policies that encourage the growth of travel and tourism to the United States.

The Office of Travel and Tourism Industries:

• Promotes the growth of U.S. travel exports through bilateral agreements with countries of strategic importance, including the Memorandum of Understanding with China on group leisure travel;
• Represents U.S. tourism interests in intergovernmental organizations to lead the global efforts for travel and tourism policy concerns and issues, including chairing the Tourism Committee for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (www.oecd.org);
• Serves as the Secretariat for the interagency Tourism Policy Council, ensuring that the nation’s travel and tourism interests are considered in Federal decision-making. More than 18 agencies and offices of the government participate in this Council;
• Serves as the USG official head delegate to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Working Group (www.apec.org);
• Serves as the official U.S. government observer and participant on committees and activities of the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

• Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) Changes That Impact Travel and Tourism
• Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for Travelers from Visa Waiver Countries

Click here to link directly to information and subsequent links for a series of webinars that have been developed by the Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, and State in an outreach effort to highlight the latest data on international travel to the U.S. along with new and/or updated entry/exit requirements for global travel and tourism industry representatives.