Posted by Sen. Reid's Staff  on 7/17/2012 - 11:45 AM

 The Las Vegas Sun reported encouraging news last week foreign tourists are coming to Southern Nevada in large numbers, and these visitors significantly boost commerce. More of these foreign tourists spending money in our hotels, restaurants, and small businesses will strengthen our economy and create jobs, so it’s crucial we reinforce Nevada’s tourism industry to welcome more foreign travelers.

From the Las Vegas Strip and Red Rock Canyon to the Hoover Dam, it’s no surprise that visitors from other countries are coming in droves. The Sun’s report said 6.2 million foreign visitors came to Las Vegas in 2011, and this group represented $1 in every $4 spent by all tourists to Las Vegas.  Boosting tourism is a shared priority for President Obama and I, and in 2010 we worked to pass the Travel Promotion Act which established “Brand USA,” an organization that advertises in foreign countries to promote travel to the United States.

But foreign travelers often have to wait to obtain proper visa credentials, and that process can be long and drawn out making it tough to visit the United States. At the President’s instruction this year, visa processing accelerated by 40 percent for many foreign travelers waiting to come experience our incredible country.  By making visa processing in our international embassies more efficient, we are taking a major step towards strengthening our tourism infrastructure. However, our goal is to create a system that makes it easy to come back to Nevada time and again, and that’s why President Obama also called for an expansion to the Global Entry program so frequent international travelers can streamline their entire journey to and from the United States.

There are many more travelers waiting to see Nevada’s world class attractions, and I will continue to work to improve our nation’s tourism industry.

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