Ahead of a decade of global events including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics, the U.S. Travel Association said a surge of up to 40 million international visitors could overwhelm air travel infrastructure unless it is modernized. News editor Johanna Jainchill spoke with CEO Geoff Freeman about U.S. Travel’s call for investments in airport staffing and biometrics, the need for a White House task force to oversee national travel policy and whatever happened with that assistant secretary of travel and tourism position.
Geoff Freeman
Q: Is investment in infrastructure and biometrics at odds with the Trump administration’s focus on spending cuts and mass layoffs?
A: The Trump administration is focused on rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. The administration has shown no objection to spending money in areas that deliver an ROI for the United States. That’s what we’re focused on: driving economic activity. We’re confident the Trump administration will make those types of investments. We’ve had conversations with the administration; they are interested in making this the greatest World Cup that’s ever happened, they are interested in making the Olympics extraordinarily successful. To do that requires a degree of investment in our travel systems. We’re quite optimistic that they are willing to make investments in those things that will drive a return for the American people.
Q: Does the administration support the biometric technology you’re recommending?
A: This administration, at least Trump 1.0, was supportive of issues related to biometrics. I’m confident that they’ll be supportive going forward. It comes back to safety and efficiency. That’s what biometrics provide. Biometrics are 99% accurate. Your plastic driver’s license is maybe 70% accurate. That’s a degree of risk that I don’t think any administration wants to take if there is an alternative.
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Q: Since Trump threatened tariffs on Mexico and Canada, the national anthem has been booed at Canadian sporting events, and some data shows a decline in Canadians coming here. U.S. Travel has said that even a 10% dip from Canada could cost the U.S. millions. How concerned are you, and is the message to international travelers welcoming enough?
A: If we see a decline in travel from any destination around the world, we’ll let the data, rather than the anecdotes, tell us where to go. The U.S. received the highest number of international travelers it’s ever received in 2018. That was the middle of the Trump administration. So what travelers say and what they do are not always the same thing. There’s nothing I heard in the discussion of trade issues that was, “We don’t want you to visit the United States.” Our welcome is judged by how we facilitate travelers. Our welcome is judged by visa wait times, by the good work that Brand USA does encouraging people to come to the United States and by the work that Americans do every day to be kind and courteous to visitors.
Q: You said the U.S. is the only G20 nation without a federal leader or agency dedicated to travel policy. But an assistant secretary of tourism position was created in 2022. What happened to that, and why are you calling for a White House task force instead of filling that position?
A: It took a while to get funding, and once that happened, the last administration didn’t put anyone in the position. In the new administration, some people are contemplating, “How do we fill this role?” and others are saying, “If there’s nobody in the role, maybe we should just cut the funding.” That’s where it stands. We welcome an assistant secretary of travel within the Department of Commerce, but that’s not going to solve the broader challenges we have, which require White House leadership.Â