In an urgent call to action at the 55th annual U.S. Travel Association’s IPW conference, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May 3-7, President and CEO Geoff Freeman emphasized the need for the United States to prioritize travel growth and remove barriers hindering the nation’s competitive edge. With 5,700 attendees from nearly 70 countries, the world’s largest international inbound travel event brought together industry leaders to strategize ways to bolster America’s travel market share and solidify the country as the top global destination.

Freeman highlighted a decade ripe with opportunities for U.S. travel, citing significant events such as Copa America this summer, the FIFA World Cup games, America’s 250th celebration in 2026, and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. These events will attract millions of new leisure and business travellers, creating a crucial window for growth. Yet, obstacles like lengthy visitor visa wait times, customs delays, and an overwhelmed air traffic control system stand in the way of fully capitalizing on this potential.

“It should be our national goal to be nothing short of number one in terms of visitor arrivals, visitor spend, and visitor experience,” Freeman asserted. “But our ambitions are constrained by excessively long wait times for visitor visas, often-lengthy waits at customs, and an air traffic control system that is challenged to meet demand. Achieving travel growth will require a sustained focus by government and industry to address frictions and improve the process for travelers.”

The Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel, represented by co-chair Kevin McAleenan, former Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Patty Cogswell, former Deputy Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, joined Freeman in urging policymakers to prioritize traveller experience. They stressed creating an efficient, modern, and secure system to boost travel competitiveness.

IPW 2024 recorded a 20% increase in attendance over last year’s event, signalling the industry’s continued recovery. However, inbound visitation to the U.S. still lags at 84% of pre-pandemic levels, revealing significant room for improvement. Freeman noted that this upward trajectory hinges on government and industry collaboration to address existing challenges and attract more international visitors.

Freeman declared, “IPW is back,” emphasizing the economic impact of this year’s event, which generated over $5.5 billion in future travel to the U.S. The conference facilitated 100,000 scheduled business meetings between U.S. travel suppliers and international tour operators over three days. Brand USA returned as the premier sponsor, while American Express remains the official card of the U.S. Travel Association.

The 56th IPW will be held in Chicago from June 14-18, 2025, and the travel industry will continue to advocate for more robust government engagement in securing America’s position as the most-visited country in the world.

Written by: Jason Smith

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