Traveling to the United States has always been a somewhat difficult thing, especially for those who come from developing countries. I suppose that the restrictions that the US government has set in place is but understandable in light of how a lot of people try to enter and stay in the country illegally. Still, it can be quite a pain for those who are actually wanting to travel for the sole purpose of enjoying themselves and staying temporarily.
With the recent move of the U.S. Senate, people interested in traveling to the country just might find things a little bit easier. Dubbed the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, the bill is co-sponsored by Democrats Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka. It establishes a nonprofit corporation whose aim is to promote travel to the United States. Whether it is business travel, leisurely travel, or scholarly travel, it is covered by this bill.
More than merely establishing the nonprofit corporation, a government office will also be established. The office will be called the Office of Travel Promotion, which will be under the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce. This office will be tasked with coordinating with the corporation.
While the bill passed with flying colors in the Senate (79-19), it still has to go through the House. Since it really does not have much of a negative aspect to it, I think this bill will pass. After all, the U.S. economy can certainly benefit from an influx of tourists willing to spend their hard earned money.
I love language! It really is not a static thing, but it shifts and evolves with time. Take the word vacation; only recently, another word was created out of it – staycation, for vacations that are spent in the vicinity of a person’s hometown or city. Now, we have another word: greycationer. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the word refers to people aged 50 and above, who spend a lot of time traveling.