The U.S. Travel Association recently honored Senator Amy Klobuchar with its “Friend of Tourism” award at its annual “Destination Capitol Hill” event in Washington, D.C.  Senator Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) pushed to pass the Travel Promotion Act of 2010 into law which created Brand USA, the public-private partnership that promotes international travel to the United States.  Last Congress, she successfully led the bipartisan effort with Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) to pass legislation they introduced to reauthorize Brand USA through 2020.  In 2013, Brand USA generated 1.1 million international visitors who spent an estimated $3.4 billion, strengthening local businesses and stimulating economic growth.

Brand USA is funded by international visitors and private contributions – not U.S. taxpayers.  Half of its budget comes from the private sector through cash and in-kind contributions.  The rest of the budget – up to a maximum of $100 million – is funded by a nominal fee assessed on visa-free international visitors screened by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

In addition to her national leadership on tourism initiatives, Senator Klobuchar is a strong advocate for travel and tourism in Minnesota – her home state.  Tourism is a $13 billion industry in Minnesota and includes Mall of America, the largest U.S. retail and entertainment center.  The Mall attracts over 40 million visits annually from around the world.

On hand for the award presentation were (L-R): Dan O Neill, Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau; Doug Killian, Mall of America; Roger Dow (President) U.S. Travel Association; Senator Klobuchar; John Edman, Explore Minnesota Tourism; and Tammy Lee Stanoch, Carlson Companies.