Tourism Policy and Export Promotion Act of 1992 - Requires the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to improve the survey of international air travelers providing data to estimate the U.S. balance of payments in international travel.
Establishes the Rural Tourism Development Foundation. Amends the International Travel Act of 1961 to authorize the Secretary to assist the Foundation in the development and promotion of rural tourism.
Declares as further purposes of the national tourism policy: (1) optimizing the contributions of the tourism and recreation industries with respect to U.S. international competitiveness; (2) increasing U.S. export earnings from tourism and transportation services traded internationally; (3) ensuring the orderly growth and development of tourism; (4) coordinating and encouraging the development of the tourism industry in rural communities; and (5) promoting increased and more effective investment in international tourism by the States, local governments, and cooperative tourism marketing programs.
Includes as duties of the Secretary: (1) to encourage the development of receptive, linguistic, informational, currency exchange, meal, and package tour services required by the international market; (2) to provide export promotion services for States, local governments, and companies in the United States that sell tourism services in the international market; and (3) to advise and provide technical assistance to U.S. firms seeking to facilitate travel to and from the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and to compile statistics on such travel. Requires the Secretary in performing such duties to: (1) provide financial assistance to cooperative tourism marketing programs; and (2) encourage the use of U.S. providers of travel products and services.
Requires the Secretary's tourism trade development efforts to focus on the markets which have the greatest potential for increasing travel and tourism export revenues. Sets forth a procedure for selecting such markets.
Modifies eligibility requirements with respect to the provision of financial assistance to States under the cooperative tourism marketing program.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) identify and analyze acts, policies, or practices of foreign countries that constitute barriers to, or distortions of U.S. travel and tourism exports; (2) estimate the trade-distorting impact on U.S. commerce of any such act, policy, or practice; and (3) estimate the value of additional U.S. travel and tourism exports that would have been exported to such foreign countries if such acts, policies, and practices did not exist.
Requires the Secretary to take appropriate action to ensure that: (1) foreign tourists are not unnecessarily delayed when entering the United States; and (2) the international processing standard of the International Civil Aviation Organization is met.
Requires the Secretary to report annually to specified congressional committees on the goals achieved by the United States Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA) as part of the evaluation of such Administration.
Abolishes the position of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Tourism Marketing. Requires the Secretary to designate a Deputy Under Secretary for Tourism Trade Development to help facilitate the interaction between industry and government regarding tourism trade development.
Requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to continue to seek the assistance of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service to assist the USTTA in stimulating and encouraging travel to the United States by foreign residents.
Limits administrative expenses of the USTTA for FY 1993 and subsequent fiscal years.
Adds as members to the Tourism Policy council the Secretary of Agriculture, the Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Commanding General of the Corps of Engineers of the Army, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, and the Commissioner of Customs. Requires up to three Federal departments and agencies represented on such Council to detail to the Council, for every year, one staff person and associated resources.
Requires at least two members of the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board to be representatives of the States (and at least one member to be a city representative) who are knowledgeable of tourism promotion. Revises the length of service of members on the Board.
Authorizes appropriations for FY 1993 through 1996. Makes such funds available for the printing of travel promotional materials for two fiscal years.
Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees on: (1) the feasibility of publishing international travel receipts and payments on a monthly basis; (2) the tourism trade between the United States and emerging democracies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union; (3) activities to increase tourism opportunities for, and encourage travel by, disabled persons; (4) efforts to improve visitor facilitation; and (5) the offices of the United States Travel and Tourism Administration located in foreign countries (including Europe and Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, North America, South America, and the Caribbean region), with analysis and recommendation with respect to possible cost reductions and marketing efficiencies.