JAKARTA - The United States (US) air travel system is not adequately equipped to accommodate millions of visitors who are expected to attend the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The information was reported on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, local time, by a nonprofit group representing the travel industry.
The US Travel Association (US Travel Association) report, written by a group of former government officials and industry experts, points to aging infrastructure, slow visa processing times, and outdated security technologies as the main obstacle in welcoming visitors to the country.
"We are not ready to host a major event that will attract millions of domestic and international travelers."
"This poses a risk to our national security and hinders economic growth," according to the US Travel Association.
The report estimates that 40 million people can visit the US for the 2026 World Cup, 2028 Olympics and Paralympics, the 2025 Madrid Cup, and the 250th United States birthday.
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US CEO and President of the Travel Association, Geoff Total, said that by 2024, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) will examine more than three million passengers in five days, including in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. By 2028, they hope to see the figure in 100 days.
"Today's message is clear. The status quo is not an option," Geoffwaste said at a press conference on Capitol Hill.
The report recommends the government to form a White House-led task force, create an accelerated visitor visa process, and modernize airport security by adopting new technologies such as biometrics.
Lebih lanjut,mengatakan kepada ESPN bahwa organisasinya telah bertemu dengan pejabat Gedung Putih dalam seminggu terakhir. Upaya untuk menghubungi Gedung Putih tidak berhasil.
"The president has made it clear about making this the World Cup gold standard, the best Olympics ever held."
"To do these things, to achieve these goals, you have to make some of these investments," said Juli.
Frequent said the slow visa processing time was the only biggest barrier to visiting the United States.
According to the State Department, waiting times for visitor visas in countries, such as Colombia, can reach 700 days.
This delay, if not handled, could cause losses to millions of visitors and spending nearly $19 billion in the next two years, according to an Oxford Economics study cited in the report.
"People want to come, but they didn't come. This is because of the waiting time for this visa. This is due to customs inefficiency."
"This is because of the perception in some cases that people are not accepted. We are very worried," saidTEN.
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