50
FOGHORN
AT THE HELM
Continued from page 7: Letter from the Executive Director
passenger vessel operators, vendors, 
and suppliers alike. 
The following were just a few of the 
issues that were discussed:
Important Industry Roles – Em-
phasized the significant contributions 
of the U.S. passenger vessel industry 
to transportation and tourism.
Funding the U.S. Coast Guard Safe-
ty Mission – Urged Congress to sup-
port the Coast Guard Marine Safety 
Program through adequate funding.
Small Shipyard Grant Program – 
Stressed increasing funding for this 
important program to support PVA 
member small U.S. shipyards.
Importance of Ferries – Under-
scored how critical public ferries are to 
the smooth functioning of our nation’s 
transportation system and to the con-
servation of valuable energy resources.
I encourage you to consider joining 
a future PVA Congressional Fly-In. I 
assure you that you will find it to be 
an excellent use of your time and a 
valuable opportunity to support not 
only your business needs but those of 
the passenger vessel industry at large. 
DOMESTIC TRAVEL 
FORECASTS REMAIN 
POSITIVE FOR 2026
In the face of ongoing international 
economic and political upheaval, in-
cluding rising fuel costs, travel experts 
remain optimistic about expectations 
for domestic U.S. travel in 2026. 
Prospects for U.S. domestic travel and 
vacations in 2026 are being portrayed 
by these experts as reflecting a blend 
of optimism, caution, and shifting 
priorities shaped by economic pres-
sures and ever-changing travel habits. 
Reports indicate that travelers still 
value the benefits of getting away, but 
at the same time are approaching trip 
planning with a more price‑sensitive 
mindset than in previous years.
The US Travel Association (USTA) 
expects a fairly solid domestic travel 
season in 2026. While they anticipate 
domestic air travel to increase slight-
ly, travel agencies apparently have 
reported a measurable jump in do-
mestic bookings in early 2026. At the 
same time, they note that domestic 
hotel business rose by 11 percent in 
March over 2025 and projections for 
summer hotel registration bookings 
are projected to rise by 23 percent 
over last year. 
 
According to USTA, U.S. consumers 
expect to travel in 2026 at similar 
levels as in 2025. Their survey data 
shows that a majority of Americans 
plan to maintain or increase travel 
budgets, although they indicate that 
these same consumers will exercise 
care in how they spend their travel 
dollars this year. Forecasts indicate 
that domestic travel in 2026 will 
include more regional road trips and 
driving oriented travel. 
Overall, U.S. travel experts expect 
domestic travelers in 2026 to be finan-
cially disciplined. They plan to travel, 
but they expect to do so with a sharper 
eye for value.  
I hope that each of you experience an 
exceptional and safe season. In the 
meantime, please let me know when-
ever we can be of assistance to you.
Sincerely,
John R. Groundwater
Executive Director

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