A Trump administration may be a known entity for the travel industry, but as some of the nontraditional cabinet picks have indicated, it is also one with the potential to surprise.
But for ASTA going into 2025, as vice president of advocacy Jessica Klement said, "Administrations change, but our priorities do not."
The travel industry at large has wasted little time in laying out its priorities ahead of the changing of the guard in January.
For ASTA, it is the DOT rule that makes the "merchant of record" responsible for refunding airline passengers if their flight is canceled or significantly changed. The Society wants a stipulation that advisors are only responsible for consumer refunds when they actually possess the funds from the airline. ASTA will also go after a Department of Labor overtime rule that expands the number of employees eligible for overtime pay by increasing the salary exemption threshold starting Jan. 1.
At the U.S. Travel Association's annual Future of Travel Mobility conference in November, the group pegged many of its 2025 priorities to the upcoming decade of major sporting events being hosted in the U.S. The FIFA World Cup will be here in 2026, the Summer Olympics in 2028 and the Winter Olympics in 2034. The events are all down the line -- but the work must be done now to make travel to and within the U.S. more seamless.
Geoff Freeman, U.S. Travel Association
U.S. Travel CEO Geoff Freeman laid out three recommendations from its recently formed Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel. At the top of the list is a $10 billion investment in the TSA to put biometric capabilities in every airport in the country, "giving that traveler the ability to glide through the travel process," he said.
Another is a streamlined customs process for Americans coming into the U.S. so they don't need to meet with a Customs and Border Protection officer unless they have something to declare.
Finally, U.S. Travel wants the creation of a Consular Corps funded through visa fees to ensure that the wait to get a tourist visa interview does not exceed 30 days at any consulate.
"These are the types of reforms that can fundamentally change the travel experience and make the U.S. more competitive," Freeman said. "And we can't do it fast enough."
He added, "If we get it right, we have an opportunity to attract millions upon millions of people to the United States to regain our market share and to become the world leader in travel."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaking at the U.S. Travel Association's annual Future of Travel Mobility conference in Washington in November. Photo Credit: Courtesy of U.S. Travel Association/Ian Wagreich
'No reward for small ideas'
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in attendance at the event offered some clues as to how travel policy may play out next year.
For one, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has been nominated by Trump to be secretary of state, the position in charge of consulate staffing and making visa processing a priority. And while Rubio has opposed some measures that boosted travel, such as when the Obama administration opened Cuba to travel, even Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said at the U.S. Travel event that politicians from Florida understand the importance of tourism.
"If Rubio is confirmed, he does come from a state that's big on what? On tourism," Klobuchar told attendees.
One of those Sunshine State lawmakers, Republican Rep. Kat Cammack, agreed and reminded the audience that Trump has a hotel background. She told the members of the industry to "think big" about what they need from government.
"The other thing I know about President Trump is that he is a visionary, and he likes bold, big ideas," Cammack said. "This is not the time to be shy. ... There is no reward right now in this administration for small ideas."
Jamie Biesiada contributed to this report.