Industry pushes new visitor, tourism industry fees

The Senate appears poised to pass a bill late Wednesday designed to boost the number of international travelers to the U.S.

The legislation would establish a new nonprofit corporation to coordinate programs promoting international travel to the U.S. A $10 assessment would be paid by millions of international visitors to help fund the corporation's work.

The travel industry is highly supportive of the bill, as are lawmakers from some of the states hardest hit by the recession, such as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"When tourism is hurt, Nevada hurts. The entire state suffers," Reid said. "Nevada is not alone."

Senators, citing data from industry sources, said ramped up marketing efforts would lead to an additional 1.6 million international travelers to the U.S. annually, and they said those travelers spend about $4,500 per visit.

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