As headlines in national media warn of budget cuts to everything from Medicaid to international aid, a new proposal is quietly targeting travel marketing. U.S. Travel warned that during the reconciliation process, the Senate Commerce Committee bill, led by Chairman Ted Cruz, proposed cutting Brand USA funding from $100 million to $20 million, even through the president included $100 million in his budget.
What does that mean for meeting professionals looking to attract international visitors? “This funding reduction will significantly impact our entire industry, no matter what sector you serve,” according to the release. “Congress must do the same [as the president] to keep the U.S. competitive on the global stage.”
Travel policies impact how quickly attendees at international events—and global sporting events such as FIFA World Cup coming up in 2026—can get visas to attend in person.
Brand USA also helps keep the United States top of mind for potential attendees through trade shows, sales missions and MegaFams.
As the reconciliation process continues, U.S. Travel urged stakeholders to tell Congress to protect the travel industry—an industry that generates an economic output of $2.9 trillion and supports more than 15 million American jobs.
U.S. Travel suggested sending senators a letter and signing on to an industry-wide letter to Congress calling for the protection of Brand USA and support for policies that will modernize travel.
On The Hill
The proposed cuts come just weeks after more than 250 AHLA hoteliers visited elected officials on Capitol Hill to talk about concerns and challenges facing the U.S. hospitality industry, including the implications of tax and trade policies on hotel operating costs and travel demand.
They called for making the Small Business Tax Deduction permanent, extending Bonus Depreciation, preserving the Like-Kind Exchange, reinstating Expanded Business Interest Deductibility, launching a second round of Opportunity Zones and “No Tax on Tips.”
AHLA members also discussed measures to expand and upskill the hospitality workforce, such as adjusting the H-2B visa program cap and protecting the franchise model, which supports over half of all U.S. hotels and 2.8 million jobs.
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Also in D.C. were 170 business and professional events industry leaders and advocates from Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA). The emissaries from 30 states met with more than 130 elected officials as part of the annual Legislative Action Day.
“What happens in Washington, D.C., is critical to the competitiveness of our industry going forward,” said Hervé Sedky, president and CEO of Emerald Holding Inc. and chair of the ECA board of directors.
The group focused on two of ECA’s top public policy priorities: taxes and talent. On May 22, the House of Representatives voted to maintain several ECA-supported tax policies while creating two new pathways to help attract and train the industry’s next-generation workforce.
“Last week’s vote demonstrates the importance of ‘all-in’ advocacy on behalf of our great industry,” said Vinnie Polito, Society of Independent Show Organizers CEO and ECA co-president. “Today was our collective opportunity to tell Congress to keep the momentum going so that we continue to drive economic growth, support job creation, and empower small businesses for many years to come.”
