Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, says existing screening and Customs processes for visitors to the United States of America continue to lag behind other nations, and require urgent attention.
Reiterating comments made last May at IPW 2024 in Los Angeles, Freeman’s latest remarks come as a new report released this week by the Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel identified urgent steps needed to ensure President Trump delivers a “golden age of travel,” the authority said.
“The current travel processes we are meant to be operational, but they’re not meant to be aspirational,” he said on the release of the roadmap.
Subscribe to LATTE’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury travel industry.
“They’re not meant to build the world’s best travel system, and so do it leading to long delays, they’re using antiquated technology, too few staff.
“We need to seize this opportunity to build a world-class travel system that sets the bar for the rest of the globe,” Freeman said.
“America is staring at a historic opportunity — the question is whether we will seize the moment or fall maddeningly short,” said Freeman. “The next several years will bring unprecedented travel demand that our systems are not prepared to handle.
The group’s roadmap is centred on 1) modernised airport screening and customs, 2) eliminating bureaucratic delays, and 3) strengthening national security.
