WASHINGTON After decades of advocacy, the U.S. travel industry is finally getting a national tourism promotion board, but some, particularly in the airline industry, worry the boards funding mechanism may actually reduce travel to American shores.

A new law adopted by Congress, called the Travel Promotion Act, creates a board that will be responsible for developing ad campaigns that promote the U.S. as a travel destination for foreigners. The board is expected to eventually have a $200 million budget.

President Obama signed the measure into late early this month.

Many in the U.S. travel industry have long advocated for a national tourism board, arguing that the United States was one of the few industrialized nations without one. (See Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 issues of Bus & Motorcoach News.)

At the same time the Senate was giving the final approval needed for the Travel Promotion Act to clear Congress, a U.S. House member from California was introducing legislation designed to provide $50 million in matching grants to destination marketing organizations and their strategic partners during the next five years to promote domestic tourism.

The Travel Regional Investment Partnership Act introduced by Democratic Rep. Sam Farr, co-chair of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, would authorize the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to provide $10 million annually in matching grants for five years to convention and visitor bureaus, state tourism offices and regional tourism organizations.

Among those strongly pushing the measure is the United Motorcoach Association, which has lobbied for its passage and supported Farrs efforts, including working with his staff.

"This new piece of legislation is a perfect companion to the recently passed Travel Promotion Act, which provides critical resources to do international inbound marketing," said National Tour Association President Lisa Simon, The NTA is a strategic partner of UMA.

"Domestic tourism is a key part of the business of every destination. We know from our hundreds of destination marketing organization members that many of them are seeing budgets reduced due to lower appropriations and lower room tax collections in this challenging economy," said Simon.

"Representative Farrs bill will be a gigantic boost, creating an impact of $100 million in marketing and advertising throughout the United States."

The NTA urged its members and strategic partners to contact their representatives to become co-sponsors of the bill or support it.

The American Bus Association issued a news release earlier this month also urging congressional passage of Farrs bill, saying investment in travel and tourism development "is more critical than ever."

While Farrs proposed legislation would be funded through general appropriations, the financing mechanism for the Travel Promotion Act turned out to be controversial, as did some of its spending plans.

While encouraging foreigner visitors to come to the U.S. is a major goal of the tourism promotion board created by the measure, much of its effort will be devoted to raising awareness of U.S. security and visa procedures.

To pay for its efforts, the tourism board would be financed by a $10 fee on foreign visitors who do not need a visa to enter the United States. The fee will raise tens of millions for the promotion program, with the private sector kicking in a matching amount. Some say as much as $200 million could be raised.

Critics of the bill, including some Republicans and airline industry representatives, say the slump in foreign tourism is not a public relations problem, but rather a result of strict rules that subject visitors to unwelcoming procedures.

Others contend the $10 fee will annoy potential visitors, discouraging them from coming to the U.S.

The U.S. Travel Association, however, doesnt see it that way. It hired a research organization that estimates the promotional effort contemplated by the legislation will result in an additional 1.6 million foreign visitors who will spend $4 billion and create 24,000 jobs.

Some critics arent impressed with those numbers, noting the U.S. tourism industry lost a total of 400,000 jobs during 2008 and 2009, and California alone had 13.4 million foreign visitors in 2008.

Meanwhile, Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, has been designated chairman the new tourism body when it launches.

He and 28 other members of the board are expected to be sworn in next month.