World Cup chaos averted because of Trump restraint, journey business chief says

The 2026 World Cup averted potential journey chaos not solely due to what President Donald Trump’s administration did to hurry up visas, tighten safety and transfer overseas followers by means of airports, but additionally due to what it selected to not do, in accordance with the top of the U.S. Travel Association, which represents over 1,000 organizations throughout the business.

In a letter to Trump obtained by Fox News Digital, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman credited the administration with holding off on a number of travel-related insurance policies that had been on the desk within the run-up to the World Cup, arguing these choices helped make the match a “resounding success.”

“In addition to faster visa appointments, the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) did not strain under record volume—processing more than 5 million applications and approvals while maintaining the highest levels of security,” Freeman wrote. “Equally as important were several actions your administration did not take prior to and during the World Cup.”

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The U.S. Travel Association is without doubt one of the journey business’s most influential Washington voices, describing itself because the nationwide nonprofit representing “all components” of the U.S. journey business and the “leading voice” for an business it says is value about $2.9 trillion. The group says it represents greater than 1,000 organizations throughout the journey sector and advocates on points together with visa coverage, airport operations, journey safety and worldwide inbound tourism, giving Freeman’s letter added weight because the U.S. prepares to host the Summer and Winter Olympics, in addition to the Women’s World Cup.

The letter, paired with knowledge from U.S. Travel and Morning Consult, casts the match as a tourism and public-diplomacy win that reached past stadiums and the cities that hosted the video games. Freeman wrote that greater than 80% of World Cup vacationers had been taken with venturing past host cities. Meanwhile, the info paired with the letter discovered 81% of Americans mentioned watching worldwide vacationers expertise American meals, tradition and points of interest made them proud to be American, and 86% mentioned they felt real pleasure watching guests have time.

Freeman cited “the welcome America extended throughout the tournament” as extra than simply “a moment of hospitality” but additionally an funding within the financial system and the U.S.’s standing on this planet.

The letter and knowledge additionally pointed to the World Cup as a “blueprint” for future international occasions, with a ballot discovering 70% of Americans need the U.S. to host extra main occasions such because the Olympics, World Cup and World’s Fair. The U.S. is about to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, the 2031 Women’s World Cup and the 2034 Winter Olympics.

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Among the strikes Freeman praised the administration for not taking had been implementing the $250 Visa Integrity Fee earlier than the match, transferring ahead with proposals involving CBP officers at sure airports and imposing newly proposed journey authorization necessities for Visa Waiver Program guests.

“Because the Congressionally-created $250 per person Visa Integrity Fee was not implemented, visa-visitors from countries like Argentina had additional money to spend in American businesses like Buc-ee’s or locally owned barbecue restaurants,” Freeman wrote. “Because proposals to remove CBP officers from certain airports did not move forward, Americans continued to arrive home from abroad and foreign fans, teams, and other participants could enter the U.S. after being efficiently cleared through proper screening.”

“Because newly proposed [Electronic System for Travel Authorization] requirements were not implemented, VWP visitors like Scotland’s ‘Tartan Army’ arrived in record numbers, underwent strong vetting, and used their social media accounts to post about their love for America and the world-class experience it provided,” he added.

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The knowledge memo accompanying the letter to Trump underscored why U.S. Travel considered these averted hurdles as greater than bureaucratic journey fights. 

Four-in-five Americans mentioned it will be significant for worldwide vacationers to have a constructive expertise within the U.S., whereas 61% mentioned tourism displays positively on America’s fame on this planet and 50% mentioned visiting the U.S. provides foreigners probably the most correct image of American tradition — greater than media, information or on-line sources.

“No other president in history could have pulled off the historic feat that President Trump delivered for the American people and the world,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle informed Fox News Digital. “Thanks to his bold vision and decisive leadership, the 2026 FIFA World Cup generated billions of dollars in revenue, created a massive economic boost across host cities, and delivered a safe, secure, and seamless experience for millions of fans and athletes from around the globe. It will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest and most successful sporting events in history.”