WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) applauded the Senate Commerce Committee’s unanimous passage of the Visit America Act. The bipartisan legislation, which he introduced in June with Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), would set a visitation goal of 116 million annual international travelers to the United States by 2028, formally authorize the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, and create a high-ranking position within the Department of Commerce focused on bolstering America’s travel and tourism industry.  This legislation aims to develop and implement a strategy to assist the travel and tourism industry to quickly recover from the coronavirus pandemic.  The bill now heads to the Senate Majority Leader’s office for floor consideration.

“From the coasts to the forests to the mountains, Maine’s unparalleled beauty never disappoints – which is why every year, millions of people from across the globe travel to our state to experience The Way Life Should Be. However, this year, the coronavirus pandemic forced Maine people to answer a serious question: what happens to Vacationland when all the usual visitors stay home?” said Senator King, Ranking Member of the National Parks Subcommittee.  “Tourism is vital to Maine’s economy – especially during the summer season – but with fewer visitors this year, businesses that earn the lion’s share of their revenue during the summer months must have every chance to thrive in future years. We need a forceful response to support the tourism industry and the communities that rely on it, and I’ll keep working with Senators Sullivan and Schatz to make sure we help this vital piece of our national economy not only rebound, but grow and thrive.”

Senator King has fought to support Maine’s tourism industry and related economic sectors both prior to and during the coronavirus pandemic. In July, he cosponsored the Restarting the Economy Sustainably Towards a Recovery in Twenty-twenty (RESTART) Act to support the small- and mid-sized businesses most affected by the coronavirus crisis, and earlier that month, Senator King wrote an op-ed to advocate for more federal support for Maine’s small businesses. He also sent a letter to Congressional leadership calling for additional funding for the Economic Development Administration (EDA)’s programs in future coronavirus economic recovery legislation.

Earlier this year, Senator King’s legislation to improve the Paycheck Protection Program was signed into law, providing Maine businesses with additional flexibility as they continue to navigate the challenges of the coronavirus. He was a lead sponsor of the Restore Our Parks Act, which was signed into law in August, which will address the maintenance backlog at national parks to ensure these significant economic drivers remain healthy for years to come. The legislation would directly support 40,300 jobs and indirectly support 100,100 jobs over the next five years according to a recent study by the National Parks Service. Additionally, Senator King has cosponsored legislation to reauthorize Brand USA, a public-private partnership that enhances tourism across the country through marketing campaigns that promote international travel to the United States. That legislation was signed into law in December 2019.