Topic: Domestic Commerce — Tourism
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2014-04-10 00:00:00

Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (TPA) to revise qualifications requirements for members of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Travel Promotion.

(Sec. 3) Revises requirements for the Corporation's annual report to the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to require a description of and rationales for: (1) the Corporation's efforts to focus on specific countries and populations; and (2) its combination of media channels employed in meeting the promotional objectives of its marketing campaign, the ratio in which such channels are used, and a justification for such use and ratio.

(Sec. 4) Directs the Corporation and the Secretary (or their designees) to meet biannually to review procedures to determine the fair market value of goods and services received by the Corporation from non-federal sources. Reduces from 80% to 70% the percentage of the fair market value of those goods and services the Corporation may receive from non-federal sources each fiscal year, increasing from 20% to 30% the federal matching rate.

Requires the Secretary, in coordination with the Corporation, to establish formal, publicly available procedures specifying time frames and conditions for: (1) making and agreeing to revisions of the Corporation's in-kind contributions policy; and (2) addressing and resolving disagreements between the Corporation and its partners, including the Secretary, regarding the in-kind contribution policy.

(Sec. 5) Includes U.S. territories among the states and the District of Columbia whose benefit the Corporation's international travel promotion plan must ensure.

Extends the TPA and the Corporation through FY2020.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend through FY2020 also the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to charge a fee for use of the electronic travel authorization system to determine, in advance, an alien's eligibility to travel to the United States.

(Sec. 6) Amends the TPA to lower from $5 million to $500,000 the expenditure threshold in the Corporation's budget for a forthcoming fiscal year in excess of which the Board must give an explanation to the Secretary.

Requires the Corporation to establish performance metrics including, time frames, evaluation methodologies, and data sources for measuring:

 the effectiveness of its marketing efforts, includings its progress in achieving the long-term goals of increased traveler visits to and spending in the United States; whether increases in visitation and spending have occurred in response to external influences, such as economic conditions or exchange rates, rather than in response to the Corporation's efforts; and any cost or benefit to the U.S. economy. Requires the Corporation to: (1) conduct periodic program evaluations in response to the data resulting from these measurements, and (2) report to Congress actions it has taken in response to any recommendations the Government Accountability Office (GAO) might make to it.

Directs the Corporation to: (1) establish a competitive procurement process, and (2) certify in its annual report to Congress that any contracts it has entered into were in compliance with that process.

(Sec. 7) Repeals the Corporation's authority to impose an annual assessment on certain U.S. members of the international travel and tourism industry represented on the Board.