Travel Industry Passport Website Gets More Than 1.2 Million Hits Since December Launch

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www.GetAPassportNow.com Provides Links to U.S., Canadian and Mexican
Passport Information.

On the eve of new passport requirements going into effect for persons
traveling to the U.S. by air from Western Hemisphere countries, travel
industry officials say a new website aimed at helping educate travelers
about the new rules has been a big success.

www.GetAPassportNow.com, which launched six weeks ago and provides links to
U.S., Canadian and Mexican passport information, has received more than 1.2
million hits and 50,000 unique visitors, according to Roger J. Dow,
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Travel Industry Association.
"Our message continues to be that if you want to travel to or from the
United States, get a passport now," Dow said. "We will continue to work
closely with the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to
help inform people about the new passport requirements going into effect for
persons traveling by plane, and the future requirements for those entering
the U.S. by car or on a cruise ship. "Our aim is to spread the word to help
people avoid confusion and make their travel worry-free," he said.
www.GetAPassportNow.com was created after the Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative (WHTI) was revised by Congressional action last September. WHTI
requires all air travelers to the U.S., including Americans returning from
Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, to now have a passport or other secure
document.

In addition, all travelers by land and sea must meet this requirement by an
unspecified deadline not later than June 1, 2009. Just 27 percent of all
Americans currently have a passport, while 40 percent of Canadians have the
official government-issued travel document.

www.GetAPassportNow.com explains the new passport requirements, cites the
deadlines, and provides links where citizens of the U.S., Canada and Mexico
can get information about and applications for their respective passports.
It is intended to supplement efforts by the U.S. Departments of State and
Homeland Security to inform travelers about the new rules. TIA and the
Travel Business Roundtable (TBR) have worked closely with Congress and the
Administration to ensure that the new rules provide enhanced security for
travelers with minimal disruption. Click here to view the site. TIA and TBR
encourage its partners throughout the travel industry to provide links to
www.GetAPassportNow.com.

The Travel Industry Association is the national, non-profit organization
representing all components of the $703 billion travel industry. TIA's
mission is to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the
United States. For more information, visit www.tia.org. The Travel Business
Roundtable (TBR), a strategic partner to the Travel Industry Association, is
a CEO-based organization representing all sectors of the travel and tourism
industry. For more information, visit www.tbr.org.

eTN (TravelWireNews)