President Obama signed Congresswoman Kathy Castor’s tourism promotion bill into law today. Castor was an original co-sponsor of the Travel Promotion Act because tourism is one of the most vital industries in the state of Florida and because the legislation could lead to the creation and retention of thousands of jobs in our nation and our state. The Travel Promotion Act is designed to encourage visitors from other countries to travel to the United States.

“The Travel Promotion Act is a jobs bill. This is about creating and retaining jobs in the Sunshine State,” Castor said.

“Tourism is particularly important to Florida,” Castor continued. “Tourists come from nations all over the world to visit our attractions: Busch Gardens, Disney World, Universal Studios, the Everglades, the Space Coast and the beaches, to name a few. Promoting our Florida a worldwide stage will have tremendous economic benefits for our region and our country. This is about jobs.”

Castor championed the bill, sheparded it through passage on the floor of the House and has emphasized the job creation benefits of the legislation. The U.S. Travel Association has said the Travel Promotion Act could create approximately 40,000 jobs in the United States.

According to Visit Florida, Florida’s tourism industry employs more than 1 million Floridians and has a roughly $65 billion impact on the state’s economy. In 2008, more than 8 million visitors came to Florida from Canada and overseas. Nationwide, the tourism industry employs more than 8 million.

“Florida is a top travel destination from across the globe,” Castor said. “The Florida economy thrives and families have good jobs because of tourism.”

The Travel Promotion Act creates a nonprofit Corporation for Travel Promotion to actively promote and market the United States to tourists from other countries. The legislation is expected to reduce the federal budget deficit by $425 million throughout the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.