IIB 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 951 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JUNE 11, 2019 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
AN ACT 
To promote bilateral tourism through cooperation between 
the United States and Mexico. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States-Mexico 
Tourism Improvement Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United States and Mexico have bene-
fitted economically from a bilateral, mutually bene-
ficial partnership focused on enhancing the tourism 
industry in both countries. 
(2) In 2016, Mexican tourism to the United 
States peaked at 18,990,585 visitors, constituting 1 
in 4 (24.9 percent) of all tourists that year. 
(3) Additionally, in 2016, spending by Mexican 
tourists in the United States totaled $20.3 billion, 
which represented a 3 percent growth from 2015. 
(4) Tourist activity to the United States from 
Mexico has declined since 2016, which is in contrast 
to an overall international tourism industry increase 
in the United States. 
(5) In 2017, international tourist arrivals to-
taled 76,900,000, up 0.7 percent from 76,400,000 in 
2016. 
(6) The same year, 77,000,000 international 
visitors spent a record $251.4 billion on hotels, trav-
el, food, and souvenirs, a 2-percent increase over 
2016. 
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(7) However, also in 2017, there was a 6.1-per-
cent decline in visitors to the United States from 
Mexico, comprising a loss of 1,166,585 Mexican 
tourists from 2016. 
(8) The Department of Commerce has not yet 
released 2017 spending totals by Mexican tourists in 
the United States, but a corresponding monetary de-
cline would be approximately $1.24 billion in lost 
revenue. 
(9) This is a critical economic trend given that 
Mexico is the biggest source of international visitors 
to the United States after Canada. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States— 
(1) to continue deepening bilateral tourism 
through governmental cooperation between the 
United States and Mexico; 
(2) to improve third-party tourism to the 
United States and Mexico through joint inter-
national promotional efforts; and 
(3) to seek to prioritize and expand the tourism 
industries in both countries by emphasizing ex-
changes in various international economic sectors, 
including relating to— 
(A) hospitality and accommodation; 
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(B) retail; and 
(C) cultural education. 
SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO EXPAND BILATERAL TOURISM 
THROUGH COOPERATION WITH MEXICO. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall de-
velop a strategy through the High Level Economic Dia-
logue (HLED) platform to carry out the bilateral tourism 
policy described in section 3 and to encourage the Govern-
ment of Mexico to take reciprocal action relating to bilat-
eral tourism. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required under sub-
section (a) shall— 
(1) encourage more joint tourism initiatives be-
tween the United States and Mexico, including col-
laborations between governmental and non-govern-
mental entities; and 
(2) encourage United States and Mexican non-
profit institutions and private businesses to assist 
prospective 
and 
developing 
entrepreneurs 
in 
strengthening their business skills in the United 
States and Mexico. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
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submit to Congress a report on the strategy required 
under subsection (a). 
Passed the House of Representatives June 10, 2019. 
Attest: 
CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 
Clerk. 
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