TAKE-OFF! (traveling, that is) New Travel Indicators Website Launched
April 25, 2012Iris Ferguson works in the Office of the Under Secretary within the International Trade Administration.
Spring is in the air, and we here at the International Trade Administration are busy coming up with fresh ideas.
Our latest creation is the launch of ITA’s first-ever travel indicators website. It comes just in time for the international Pow Wow show in L.A., where we’ve had lots of great conversations on boosting travel and tourism to and within the U.S.
The graph shows the number of B1/B2 visas issued in Fiscal Years 2009, 2010 and 2011 in China, Brazil, India and the remainder of visa-issuing posts worldwide.
What’s on this travel indicators site, you ask? Well, in addition to basic travel tips, it contains a set of 15 graphs that have tons of useful information for the travel and tourism industry and foreign visitors.
Ever wanted to know the average wait times at six major airports for international arrivals processing? Or wanted the latest on airline capacity in key markets? Well now you can check them out on our travel indicator website.
Of particular interest are the graphs on visa wait times. Visitors can see how the State Department’s recent initiatives to increase staff, extend interview hours, and expand facilities have dramatically decreased the time it takes to get a visa in key markets, like Brazil. Being able to see these average wait times in China, Brazil, and India is great news for international travelers looking to plan ahead.
We’re working to update this site monthly, so you’ll have the latest info coming in from the Departments of Commerce, State, and Homeland Security.
Go check it out for yourself!
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