Congress last week approved a $19 hike in the cost of the two-year visa waiver, which is required by UK visitors to the US, although no date has yet been set for the new fee structure to take effect.
The US Travel Association said that while the reconciliation bill, which US president Donald Trump refers to as "the big, beautiful bill", contained some "significant wins" for the country’s travel industry, it also featured several own goals with the US gearing up to host the 2026 Fifa World Cup in 2026 among other major events.
President and chief executive Geoff Freeman narrowed in on the steep increase in Esta fees, in particular, along with a dramatic reduction in funding for the US’s destination marketing organisation Brand USA.
"Raising fees on lawful international visitors amounts to a self-imposed tariff on one of our nation’s largest exports: international travel spending," said Freeman.
He continued: "These fees are not reinvested in improving the travel experience and do nothing but discourage visitation at a time when foreign travellers are already concerned about the welcome experience and high prices."
Freeman said the US government must ensure visitor fees are lowered "if not eliminated, wherever possible" and ensure Brand USA is properly funded if it is to capitalise on major upcoming events and milestones, including the 250th anniversary next year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
However, he and the association praised pledges to invest in modernising US air traffic control, employing more staff and officials to reduce wait times at the border and rolling out biometric border checks.
