Tag: Geoff Freeman

Trump World Cup Visas
President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Washington last December. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Trump Administration Dropping Bond Requirement for World Cup Travelers

Foreign visitors who are confirmed FIFA World Cup ticket holders will not have to pay a bond that had been required by the Trump administration, according to the Associated Press. The State Department issued the bond requirement last year for travelers from 50 countries that the department said had high rates of people overstaying their […]

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World Cup 2026 Venues Soccer
MetLife Stadium — known as New York New Jersey Stadium for the World Cup — will host the tournament final on July 11. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)

Study: Concerns Around International Travel to U.S. for World Cup

Two months before the FIFA World Cup finally kicks off in North America, new research shows that travelers will be coming to the U.S. for more than just soccer. According to data from the U.S. Travel Association, international visitors to the United States are expected to spend more than $5,000 per person, 1.7 times a […]

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World Cup LA28

U.S. Travel Launches Sports Events Coalition

The U.S. Travel Association has launched America’s Sports and Travel Mega Event Coalition (ASTMEC), a national alliance of sports, travel and business leaders dedicated to helping the United States successfully host the collection of global sporting events headed to the United States over the next decade. ASTMEC is expected to work in close partnership with […]

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Trump Gianni Infantino
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, presents President Donald Trump with the new FIFA Club World Cup official ball in the Oval Office of the White House on March 7. (Pool via AP)

Bill Signed by Trump Includes $1.6 Billion for 2028 Olympics, 2026 FIFA World Cup Security

The domestic policy bill signed by President Donald Trump last week includes approximately $1.6 billion in security funding for both the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Los Angeles, a goal for both of the events’ organizers and one that was praised by the U.S. Travel Association while also […]

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2026 FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup Trophy on display before a press conference at Rockefeller Plaza in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Bill Reintroduced to Support Public Transportation Funding for FIFA World Cup, 2028 Olympics

As the U.S. Travel Association continued to push for upgrades throughout the national travel system, two U.S. Senators introduced a bill to provide transportation support funding for host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. The bill was introduced Friday by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran […]

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Trump Gianni Infantino
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, presents President Donald Trump with the new FIFA Club World Cup official ball in the Oval Office of the White House on March 7. (Pool via AP)

U.S. Travel Association: FIFA 2026 World Cup Task Force a Welcome Development

President Donald Trump has signed many executive orders since moving back into the White House, but for the U.S. Travel Association and its President and CEO Geoff Freeman, the order signed on March 7 was the most important. That particular order created a task force to focus on the staging of the 2026 FIFA World […]

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Mexico US Soccer
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final. Photo via Associated Press
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Report: U.S. Travel System Not Ready for FIFA World Cup, Olympics

The United States needs immediate action within the travel industry ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and other events, the U.S. Travel Association said with the release of an advocacy report. The Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel, which issued the report, is comprised of former […]

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TEAMS Closing Session
At the TEAMS '24 General Closing Session, SportsTravel's Jason Gewirtz (left) was joined by (center) Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, and (right) John David, president and CEO of Sports ETA. Jared Wickerham photo

TEAMS ’24 Explores LA28’s New Sports and Decade Ahead in Sports-Related Travel

With several mega sports events on the horizon for North America — including the World Cup and the Olympic and Paralympic Games — industry leaders share their thoughts on how these events are driving important travel policy discussions, how destinations should position themselves for the future when it comes to sports, what your destinations and […]

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SportsTravel Podcast Geoff Freeman

Geoff Freeman: How U.S. Travel Views the Sports Market

As president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, Geoff Freeman is the leading advocate for the more than $1 trillion U.S. travel and hospitality industry. In this role, he is charged with positioning the industry to seize emerging opportunities and further establishing travel as a vital economic force in the United States. Before taking over […]

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Major US Events

U.S. Senators Call for Formation of White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events

United States Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, have led a bipartisan group of 19 senators in calling for President Joseph R. Biden to establish a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events. The letter states that in preparation for the massive sporting events […]

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