b'Continued from page 7: Letter from the Executive Directorchecklistandenrollmentformhere.Leisure travel is expected to surge asWe at PVA are also optimistic about Once submitted, youll receive a PVAtravelers seek out destinations and ac- prospects for an exciting 2024 season Green WATERS certificate and win- tivities which accentuate outdoor andfor all our members. Please accept our dowdecalsticker(s)foreachofthenature-based experiences. best wishes for a safe and successful participating vessels. season.Inthemeantime,pleaselet PVA member vessel operators are posi- us know whenever we can be of assis-Ifyouarenotparticipatinginthistioned well to benefit from increasingtance to you.important PVA program, I encouragetraveler demand. Many PVA member you to consider taking part. You canoperators have reported that they haveSincerely,accessmoreinformationaboutthereachedorexceeded2019business PVA Green WATERS program here. levels. PVA associate members are also anticipatinganimprovingbusiness PVA MEMBERS OPTIMISTICclimate for 2024. Reports are that ves- John R. GroundwaterABOUT BUSINESS sel-operating customers are taking ad- Executive DirectorPROSPECTS FOR 2024 vantage of positive business conditions According to recent news reports, alongto replace aging equipment with new with expert predictions, the U.S. econ- purchases.Expectationsforcontinu-omy is poised for continued growth ining growth across the entire passenger 2024. At the same time, a more moder- vessel industry for 2024 are strong.ate pace of growth is predicted for 2024 than the rapid post-pandemic recovery experienced in prior years. The Con-gressional Budget Office (CBO) is an-ticipating an average annual economic growth rate of 1.6 percent from 2021 to2030.Inflation,whichhasrisen over the last several years, is expected to stabilize, with the Federal Reserve targeting a long-term inflation rate of 2 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate is forecasted to decrease to around 4.5 percent by 2024, nearing pre-pandemic levels, according to the CBO.U.S.travelforecastsfor2024signal continuedrecoveryandgrowthin U.S. travel and tourism markets. In-dustry experts predict an increase in both domestic and international travel driven by increased consumer savings andastrongdesireforexperiences.Turnkey Solutions for Passenger VesselsBusiness travel and event sponsorship, whichweresignificantlycurtailedVessel Design & EngineeringConstruction Management during the pandemic, are picking upInterior Design SolutionsVessel Conversion & Refits pacealthoughtheymaynotreturn topre-pandemiclevelsimmediately.To learn more, visit crowley.com/engineering51 APRIL 2024'