The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) joined a coalition of groups supporting hiring additional Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staff in light of a shortfall.
In a letter to Congress, business, travel and union groups urged House and Senate appropriators to include funding for additional 1,200 agents for CBP in a fiscal 2020 Homeland Security spending bill.
In the letter, the groups note that "while the volume of commerce crossing our borders has more than tripled in the past 25 years, CBP staffing has not kept pace with demand. Long wait times at our ports-of-entry lead to travel delays and uncertainty, which can increase supply-chain costs and cause passengers to miss their connections."
The letter also points out that increasing staff will act as a driver for the economy.
"CBP estimates that the annual hiring of an additional 1,200 CBP officers at the ports-of-entry could increase yearly economic activity by over $2 billion and result in the addition of over 34,000 new jobs," the group notes in the letter.
Hiring staff will encourage more people to visit the U.S., the coalition says.
The travel industry estimates long CBP wait times discourage international visitors, who spend an average of $4,200 per visit, from traveling to the United States. JEC research also finds border delays cost the U.S. economy upwards of $5 billion each year.
The letter concludes by strongly urging members of Congress to take this matter up.
"We share your commitment to ensuring that America's borders remain safe, secure, and efficient for all users, while enhancing our global competitiveness through the facilitation of legitimate travel and trade. We greatly appreciate your efforts to continue building on staffing advances made in recent years, and we strongly urge you to include funding for new 1,200 CBP officers in the final Fiscal Year 2020 Homeland Security Appropriations Act."
The coalition consists of the following organizations:
Airports Council International-North America
American Association of Port Authorities
National Treasury Employees Union
American Association of Airport Executives
American Society of Travel Advisors
American Trucking Associations
Borderplex Alliance
Border Trade Alliance
Cruise Lines International Association
Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Global Business Travel Association
National Association of Waterfront Employers
New York Shipping Association
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
United States Maritime Alliance
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