Obama To Sign Into Law $10 Fee On Visitors To Fund U.S. Tourism Bureau

President Barack Obama this week is poised to sign the Travel Promotion Act, which establishes a federal U.S. tourism bureau at the expense of travelers from visa-waiver countries.

Following House of Representatives passage late last year, the U.S. Senate last week approved the bill 78 to 18, which now makes its way to the President's desk for signature and enactment.

Though half of the program's funds would come voluntarily from the travel industry, the U.S. plans to fund the other half by assessing $10 for travel authorizations for visitors from visa-waiver countries. The European Union counts as its members 22 of the 35 countries in the visa-waiver program.

The United States has a new mechanism that would aid in collecting the $10 from overseas visitors, as the Department of Homeland Security early last year mandated the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, through which U.S.-bound travelers from visa-waiver countries submit biographic data prior to entry. Use of that system currently is free.

The Travel Promotion Act creates a nonprofit corporation—essentially a national convention and visitors bureau—called the Corporation for Travel Promotion, whose mission is to promote the United States to "travelers, travel agents, tour operators, meeting planners, foreign governments, travel media and other international stakeholders" through advertising, outreach and education.