Brand USA, the official destination marketing organization for the United States, faces an uncertain future should President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” be passed into law as it cuts funding from $100 million to just $20 million for the 2026 fiscal year.
According to our sister publication, Travel Weekly, Brand USA is funded partially by up to $100 million in federal funding, but not through taxpayer dollars: it earns $17 from every Electronic System Travel Authorization (ESTA) fee paid by an international traveler to visit the United States.
The “Big Beautiful Bill” does not specify how ESTA funds will be used instead of funding Brand USA. Brand USA is also partially funded by the private sector.
The Senate recently voted 50-50 on the bill, with all Democrats and Independents, and a few Republicans, voting not to pass the bill. Vice President JD Vance broke the tie with his vote passing the bill.
It now returns to the House, where representatives will vote to pass the bill with the changes the Senate has made to it. Should it be passed, it will go to President Trump, who will sign the bill into law.
Should that happen, Brand USA’s ability to launch global campaigns encouraging people from across the world to visit the U.S. might be seriously hindered.
This isn’t the first time Brand USA has to contend with the current presidential administration’s changing plans. In April, the Commerce Department under Secretary Howard Lutnick fired five of the board’s eleven members.
The DMO also recently announced a new global campaign celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary next year, the future of which remains unclear.
International visitation to the United States has dropped since President Trump has implemented several of his border security plans and made threats about annexing sovereign nations, including Canada and Greenland.
According to the WTTC, the nation could stand to lose $12.5 billion in tourism revenue this year, bringing the nation to levels not seen since the pandemic halted travel. A cut to the nation’s DMO could also further isolate the nation from potential visitors.
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