,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #iea  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,february #d1        
#bjai,mr4 ,cuellar 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,mc,caul7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs  ,a     
,,bill  ,to promote bilateral tourism   
through cooperation between the ,united 
,states and ,mexico4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,united  
,states-,mexico ,tourism ,improvement   
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,findings ,congress 
finds the following3  7#a7 ,the ,united 
,states and ,mexico have benefitted     
economically from a bilateral1 mutually 
beneficial partnership focused on       
enhancing the tourism industry in both  
countries4  7#b7 ,in #bjaf1 ,mexican    
tourism to the ,united ,states peaked at
 #ah1iij1ehe visitors1 constituting #a  
in #d 7#bd4i percent7 of all tourists   
that year4  7#c7 ,additionally1 in      
#bjaf1 spending by ,mexican tourists in 
the ,united ,states totaled #bj4c       

billion1 which represented a #c percent 
growth from #bjae4  7#d7 ,tourist       
activity to the ,united ,states from    
,mexico has declined since #bjaf1 which 
is in contrast to an overall            
international tourism industry increase 
in the ,united ,states4  7#e7 ,in #bjag1
 international tourist arrivals totaled 
#gf1ijj1jjj1 up #j4g percent from       
#gf1djj1jjj in #bjaf4  7#f7 ,the same   
year1 #gg1jjj1jjj international visitors
 spent a record #bea4d billion on       
hotels1 travel1 food1 and souvenirs1 a  
#b-percent increase over #bjaf4  7#g7   
,however1 also in #bjag1 there was a    
#f4a-percent decline in visitors to the 
,united ,states from ,mexico1 comprising
 a loss of #a1aff1ehe ,mexican tourists 
from #bjaf4  7#h7 ,the ,department of   
,commerce has not yet released #bjag    
spending totals by ,mexican tourists in 
the ,united ,states1 but a corresponding
 monetary decline would be approximately
 #a4bd billion in lost revenue4  7#i7   
,this is a critical economic trend given

 that ,mexico is the biggest source of  
international visitors to the ,united   
,states after ,canada4  #c4 ,statement  
of policy ,it is the policy of the      
,united ,states-- 7#a7 to continue      
deepening bilateral tourism through     
governmental cooperation between the    
,united ,states and ,mexico2  7#b7 to   
improve third-party tourism to the      
,united ,states and ,mexico through     
joint international promotional efforts2
 and  7#c7 to seek to prioritize and    
expand the tourism industries in both   
countries by emphasizing exchanges in   
various international economic sectors1 
including relating to--  7,a7           
hospitality and accommodation2  7,b7    
retail2  7,c7 medical procedures2  7,d7 
dental care2 and  7,e7 cultural         
education4  #d4 ,strategy to expand     
bilateral tourism through cooperation   
with ,mexico  7a7 ,in general ,the      
,secretary of ,state shall develop a    
strategy through the ,high ,level       
,economic ,dialogue 7,,hled7 platform to

 carry out the bilateral tourism policy 
described in section #c and to encourage
 the ,government of ,mexico to take     
reciprocal action relating to bilateral 
tourism4  7b7 ,elements ,the strategy   
required under subsection 7a7 shall--   
7#a7 encourage more joint tourism       
initiatives between the ,united ,states 
and ,mexico1 including collaborations   
between governmental and                
non-governmental entities2  7#b7        
encourage ,united ,states and ,mexican  
nonprofit institutions and private      
businesses to assist prospective and    
developing entrepreneurs in             
strengthening their business skills in  
the ,united ,states and ,mexico2 and    
7#c7 assess the feasibility of fostering
 partnerships between medical and dental
 institutions in the ,united ,states and
 ,mexico1 including hospitals1 clinics1 
medical schools1 and dental programs1   
for the purpose of allowing patients    
greater ease and sense of security when 
considering cross-border medical        

procedure and dental care options4  7c7 
,report ,not later than #ahj days after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to
 ,congress a report on the strategy     
required under subsection 7a74