New Legislation Introduced to Restore Brand USA Funding

Legislation  was introduced in Congress this week that would restore the 2026 funding to Brand USA. The VISIT USA Act would reinstate funding by allocating fees from the Visa Waiver Program’s inbound authorization program, or ESTA,

Brand USA has always operated through a public-private partnership model, funded by private contributions from the travel and hospitality industry and matched by a portion of the ESTA fees paid by Visa Waiver Program visitors. The 2026 budget passed this summer slashed that maximum match amount by 80%, from $100 million to $20 million. Read more here.