WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo issued the following statement upon release of new guidance reopening borders for fully-vaccinated international air travelers and land travelers from Mexico and Canada beginning Nov. 8.
“The United States is open for business with all the promise and potential America has to offer. We now invite the global community to visit, whether to visit our beautiful and diverse country or to conduct business in the land of opportunity,”said Raimondo. “To everyone in the travel and tourism industry, the Department recognizes and thanks you for your resilience and engagement throughout the pandemic. As we continue to make important progress in our nation’s fight against COVID-19, the Department will continue to be your advocate — together we will build back better.”
The Department of Commerce has worked tirelessly to advocate for international travel as vital components of the U.S. economy and American way of life. In 2019, international visitors spent $233.5 billion on U.S. tourism, injecting $640 million a day into the US economy.
Raimondo worked closely with the travel and tourism industry to ensure that this critical sector was able to recover from the pandemic and related economic fallout. After establishing interagency partnerships, participating in expert working groups and facilitating ongoing engagement with businesses and leaders across the country, Raimondo has continued to advocate for safe re-opening of America’s travel and tourism industry.
Last month, she met with the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB) to discuss how to accelerate the recovery and growth of the travel and tourism industry. During that meeting, the Secretary stressed the importance of employers requiring proof of vaccination for employees and encouraged the industry to think creatively about how to incentivize customers to get vaccinated in order to further accelerate the sector’s recovery.
