WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below after receiving the U.S. Travel Association’s 2022 Travel Champion Award. The Travel Champion Award is an annual honor presented to Members of Congress that work to boost travel to and within the United States.

“Thank you to the U.S. Travel Association for honoring me with the 2022 Travel Champion Award. Travel and tourism are crucial to powering economic growth and creating jobs in communities across Minnesota and our country,” said Klobuchar. “This year, we signed into law my bipartisan Restoring Brand USA Act, which will provide our tourism sector with much-needed economic support for travel promotion. As we say in Duluth, we can finally see the lighthouse on the horizon, and as more businesses open their doors to more visitors and customers, we need to remind international travelers of all we have to offer. As co-chair of the Congressional Tourism Caucus, I’m committed to championing travel and tourism across the nation to ensure America remains the best place in the world to visit.” 

The U.S. Travel Association praised Klobuchar as “a strong champion of the travel industry and has been one of Brand USA’s biggest advocates since the program’s inception,” highlighting her instrumental role in passing the Restoring Brand USA Act, which was signed into law in March. This bipartisan legislation, which Klobuchar introduced alongside Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), provides support for Brand USA, a public-private partnership that promotes international travel to the United States. 

As co-chair of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, Klobuchar recently announced significant federal funding to support the Duluth tourism industry. She also joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in urging the Biden administration to increase the number of available H-2B visas for temporary workers, as these workers are critical to seasonal tourism businesses. 

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