The summer of 2026 will be remembered as the moment the FIFA World Cup reminded the world of the magic of the United States. From viral moments to surging hotel bookings, the tournament showcased American hospitality. Even the strongest advocates of tougher border security embraced an important reality: when international travelers spend money, embrace our communities, and leave with a more positive view of the country, the U.S. wins. The idea that U.S. politicians would discourage travel to the U.S. is hard to imagine.
But we have seen this movie before.
After 9/11, we overhauled our security apparatus, built a new Department of Homeland Security, and understandably prioritized keeping bad actors out over welcoming legitimate travelers. Those reforms were necessary, but travel to the U.S. fell 17% over the next five years.
In response to this decline, the Secure Borders and Open Doors advisory committee wrote the following, which is still true today:
“Our long-term success requires not only that we deter and detect determined adversaries, but also that we persuade millions of people around the globe of our ideals — democratic freedom, private enterprise, intellectual pursuit, technological achievement. That persuasion requires human interaction, and each visitor to the United States represents such an opportunity.”
Many of the report’s 44 recommendations were adopted by the Bush and Obama administrations, including expanding the Visa Waiver Program, launching BRAND USA, creating Global Entry, and reducing visa wait times. Travel to the U.S. rose almost 30% from 2010 to 2015, with massive economic benefits.
But with illegal immigration concerns and COVID-19, that attitude was replaced with a mix of hostility and indifference toward travel. The World Cup appears to have awakened our country to the value of travel, and we need to maintain that momentum.
There is no one single solution, but there are five clear actions we should pursue. First, legislation should establish permanent authorities to support large-scale events. The State Department’s FIFA Pass ensured World Cup ticket holders could obtain timely visa interviews. This concept should be expanded to conventions and other sporting events, without weakening the security reviews.
Second, additional countries should be enticed to meet the criteria of our travel programs. The Visa Waiver Program requires high security standards, while Global Entry expedites pre-approved, low-risk travelers. We should expand both programs.
Third, the Trump administration has restricted or limited travel for 39 countries because of inadequate law enforcement cooperation or other issues. These restrictions may be justified, but they also fuel criticism of the U.S. The administration should create an appeals system based on proven improvements to law enforcement programs.
Fourth, the public sector should rethink our marketing and fees. To raise revenue, the 2025 Congress slashed the marketing budget for BRAND USA and enacted a $250 visa fee surcharge. The former is a self-inflicted wound, and the latter needs to be officially abandoned by the administration.
Finally, we need to focus on policies that make travel easier. The Trump administration is rightly focused on improving our travel architecture, including air traffic control reform and modernizing our airports, such as Washington Dulles, and ports of entry. But accelerating the deployment of autonomous vehicles and making transit safe and efficient are just as important.
President Donald Trump deserves credit for treating the World Cup as a national priority. Under the leadership of Executive Director Andrew Giuliani, the White House World Cup Task Force coordinated with government, host cities, foreign partners, and industry to deliver a successful tournament.
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That same level of engagement should continue as the nation celebrates America 250, prepares for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and the countless conventions, festivals, business events, and cultural attractions that bring international visitors to the states. The president should display the same enthusiasm for welcoming innovators, business leaders, and tourists to those events as he did for welcoming World Cup fans.
The next generation is invested in experiences, not things, and the U.S. is well-positioned to reclaim its dominant position as the world’s tourism leader. No single event can match the World Cup, but if we can avoid the own goal of government discouraging travel, America’s travel and tourism industry can deliver the economic equivalent of a World Cup every month.
C. Stewart Verdery, Jr. served as assistant secretary of Homeland Security in the Bush administration and is the Executive Director of the GREAT USA Coalition.