The admission of Israel to the United States Visa Waiver Program is set to bring $1.8 to the US economy, according to the US Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman.
He also stressed that from the admission to this program, the US can expect to see 200,000 additional Israeli travelers per year, thus generating an additional $800 in direct travel spending and producing an economic impact of $1.8 billion, VisaGuide.World reports.
“The highly successful Visa Waiver Program has a proven record of boosting travel exports and US global competitiveness, benefiting US destinations, businesses, and the broader American economy,” Freeman said.
Mentioning the fact that the US has called for the further expansion of the Visa Waiver Program, he said that it brings numerous security and economic benefits.
“The UK, one of the biggest competitors for global travelers, permits visa-free travel for more than 100 countries while the US allows only 41 countries the same access. It is critical that the Biden administration continues to work alongside our key inbound markets to grow this vital program and increase US global competitiveness,” he added.
Earlier this year, the government of the US announced that Israel has been admitted to the Visa Waiver Program, thus giving Israel’s nationals the opportunity to enter the US without additional requirements, such as visas, starting from November 30.
The decision was considered an important achievement that would bring benefits to both territories.
Welcoming the new changes, an official said that the decision was taken not as a favor to Israel but after it brought benefits for both territories.
According to the official, the steps that Israel has taken in order to qualify for this program will not only increase US border and immigration security but will also ease legitimate travel and commerce between both Israel and the US.
At present, a total of 40 states are part of the US VWP program. The countries are not frequently added to this list. The last country to become part of this program was Croatia in 2021.
Citizens from states included in this program are eligible to enter the US for business or tourism purposes without visas for up to 90 days.
Under the Visa Waiver Program of the US, the only documents required to have in order to get the Visa Waiver stamp on the passport are ESTA approval and the e-passport. The e-passport must be valid for a period of 6 months after the planned departure from the United States.