About the Author: Tara Sonenshine serves as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

We at the State Department are well aware of the dynamic global tourism market of the 21st century — and the opportunities it presents to expand our trade and investment everywhere. So we are working to promote and support our own travel and tourism industry to engender jobs and business for our citizens, and to make travelling to the United States as welcoming as possible.

Last week, we celebrated UN World Tourism Day, which the United Nations World Tourism Organization observes every year to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic value. And today, for the first time, our Travel and Tourism Conference will bring together leaders from the travel and tourism industry to find… more »

About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Today, we are launching the new J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program website. Each year, more than 350,000 students, professors, summer work travel participants, Au Pairs, and camp counselors travel to work or study in the United States. J-1 visas are a critical component of our mission to promote mutual understanding.

This new site will make it easier for visitors, program sponsors and host families to find the information they need. Enhancements include an interactive facts and figures map, participant and sponsor information, and our “participant testimonials” section, providing first person accounts of experiences in the United States. Videos and interactive content extend the site’s reach into the social media forum. The site also allows those with only mobile… more »