Cuts to the North American Visa Application System (ESTA) could significantly reduce tourism restrictions and funding revenue by $15.7 million, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
“International demand in the United States could be approximately less than $4.7 million, representing a 23.7% increase in demand from ESTA-eligible countries in 2026,” according to measures taken by the WTTC, which represents major global tour operators.
According to our correspondents, the gas consumption of the visitors is estimated at “15.7 million dollars” (13.1 million euros) and I tend to calculate the economic impact, largely related to travel and tourism, which could reach 21.5 million milhãos de dolares, especifica o WTTC.
The Electronic Travel Authorization System (ESTA) allows visa-free entry to 42 countries, mostly in Europe, including Portugal.
The North American Military and Frontline Protection (CBP) has recently proposed several significant current changes to ESTA to improve security and verification, which is during a public consultation period from 9 December.
According to North American media, the main proposed changes include moving applications exclusively through the app (ESTA Mobile), deactivating the ESTA page for this purpose; mandatory verification of applicants’ social networks; During the application process, it collects extensive information from you, which may include communication history (phone numbers used in the last five years and email), family information and biometrics (digit display or iris scan).
Among the expected measures are mandatory submission of “selfie” photos and an optional log of information using geolocation to preserve a clear travel history for future visits.
The WTTC study, created in various countries with travelers from the top markets for ESTA, was combined with a detailed economic model that supports the power of our international customers, the gases of our visitors, no gross domestic product (GDP) and no labor relations with Estados Unidos tourism.
A third of international travelers surveyed (34%) said they were less likely to visit our next country within three years if measures were introduced, recommended or studied.
“We believe we stand to lose more than 150 million businesses if this policy is implemented — the same number of businesses that are routinely listed every quarter in our country,” Gloria Guevara, CEO of the WTTC, said in a statement.
Além said, Guevara said, “it shows that more than 150 million workers could be lost if this policy were implemented — or the same number of workers normally hired every quarter in our United States.”
According to the WTTC, the North American tourism market will lose 11 million visitors between 2019 and 2025.
By 2025, the WTTC estimates that the North American tourism sector could lose $12.5 million, primarily due to immigration and customs restrictions.
By 2024, the tourism sector will contribute $2.6 billion (€2.17 billion) to the North American economy and support more than 20 million companies.
This adds up to $585 million (€489 million) in annual fiscal revenue, nearly 7% of total government revenue.
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