WASHINGTON -- A measure to boost tourism to the United States -- via a tax international travelers pay when they visit -- has been included in the massive government spending bill expected to pass Congress this week.
The measure, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, funds Brand USA, a private-public hybrid organization that promotes the United States as a vacation destination abroad.
Half of Brand's budget comes from the private sector, the other half is funded by a fee assessed on the international visitors screened at ports of entry across the United States.
Klobuchar said in a statement Wednesday that tourism in the United States drove billions in U.S. sales every year and created jobs in Minnesota.
"Reauthorizing Brand USA will help us continue to attract more visitors to the United States," she said.
The measure, tucked in the appropriations bill to fund the federal government, reauthorizes the fee for another five years. Brand USA says due to their outreach abroad, an additional 1 million international tourists visited the U.S. in 2013.
Votes are expected by the end of the week.
