Protecting America’s Travel & Tourism Economy
About the Alliance
The U.S. Tourism Economy Alliance (USTEA) connects policymakers with the people, places, and businesses that power America’s travel and tourism economy.
Our mission is to protect one of America’s most powerful economic engines: travel and tourism. We bring together voices from across the industry to ensure lawmakers understand its vital role and how unintended policy consequences can harm the communities, businesses, and jobs that depend on it.
What’s at stake?
The Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Mandate Bill would deliver a double hit to travel and tourism. By threatening to eliminate credit card rewards, it would change how everyday Americans pay for and afford travel, while also pulling customers away from the small businesses and communities that rely on tourism to survive. The result would be fewer travelers, less spending, and real consequences for an industry that fuels local economies and supports millions of jobs.
Your next trip becomes unaffordable.
Flights to your favorite destinations could disappear.
Ticket prices go up, and so does everything else.
The credit card perks you count on vanish.
Your points become less valuable.
Fewer rewards mean less economic activity and significant U.S. job loss.
The Facts
16.7 million
jobs support travel and tourism in the U.S.
Over 30 million
U.S. households have airline rewards credit cards.
15 million
air trips are booked annually with credit card rewards.
84%
of credit cards offer rewards, which can be redeemed for travel.
Nearly $44 billion
in total spending is generated for travel businesses by credit card rewards travelers.
After Sen. Durbin passed similar mandates on debit cards in 2010, consumers never saw the promised benefits. In fact, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond found that 98% of retailers actually raised or kept prices the same. The 2010 Durbin debit card mandates led many banks to scale back or outright eliminate debit card reward programs. A similar scenario is likely to occur if Durbin-Marshall credit card mandates pass.
The bottom line:
No matter what they say, the truth is prices won’t go down, small businesses won’t save money, and consumers will face higher costs, greater fraud risks, fewer rewards and less access to credit.
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