Brand USA’s Shrinking Stage

Brand USA just axed 15% of its staff after Congress gutted its federal funding this summer, cutting it from $100M to $20M. Inbound U.S. tourism is still hovering around 80% of pre-pandemic levels and slipping month-to-month. If D.C. can’t get its act together, no amount of glossy branding will fix the bigger problem: politics scaring off visitors.