Government Affairs

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the median wait time is under 60 days for a first-time visitor's visa interview.

State Department vows to add 1 million visa appointmentsSecretary of State Antony Blinken said that visa wait times are down by nearly 60% since the acute phase of the pandemic, and...

Julie Coker was named CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions.

New York City Tourism names Julie Coker CEOShe replaces Fred Dixon, who became CEO of Brand USA in July.

Airline competition probe: Sincere concern or political stunt?

Airline competition probe: Sincere concern or political stunt?ASTA and the U.S. Travel Association have strong but differing opinions about a joint probe into the state of air travel...

The DOT said American Airlines mishandled thousands of wheelchairs by damaging them or delaying their return.

DOT fines American Airlines $50 million for mishandling disabled passengers and wheelchairsThe DOT said its investigation uncovered cases of "unsafe physical assistance that at times resulted in injuries and...

Virtuoso CEO Matthew Upchurch, left, and Ryan Mossny, co-founder of Matagarup Zip+Climb.

WTTC's Together in Travel backs small and midsize businessesThe initiative will provide support and resources while showing lawmakers the full magnitude of the travel industry.

Please don't break up Google

Please don't break up GoogleCory Lee says the government's suggested breakup of Google would be bad for his disabled-traveler blog, making it tougher to...

D.C. hotels and vacation rentals are getting an Inauguration Day boost

D.C. hotels and vacation rentals are getting an Inauguration Day boostWashington visitors are rushing to secure spots ahead of a potentially historic Inauguration Day.

DOT fines Lufthansa for incident involving Orthodox Jewish passengers

DOT fines Lufthansa for incident involving Orthodox Jewish passengersDuring a 2022 flight from New York, some passengers violated the airline's cabin rules, and Lufthansa went on to prevent 128...

Europe delays launch of biometric entry/exit system

Europe delays launch of biometric entry/exit systemThe system had been scheduled to launch in November. No new start date has been announced.

Julia Simpson, CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, speaking in Perth, Australia, at the group's annual Global Summit.

WTTC Global Summit highlights travel's shrinking environmental footprintData shows the sector's economic contribution is growing faster than its environmental impact.