How travel may change under Obama

Obviously, when Obama steps into his new position as president next month, travel matters aren't going to be at the top his "things to do" list. He might take a look at the economy, Iraq, Afghanistan, health care...and the list goes on and on...first. But a recent column in The San Francisco Chronicle penned by Arthur Frommer speculated some of the changes we might eventually see in the travel world.

Greater support for Amtrak: The president-elect has supported larger appropriations for operating and expanding Amtrak, while his adversary, Sen. John McCain, was well known for opposing that federal support. In addition, the Senate's most active opponent of Amtrak - Sen. John Sununu of New Hampshire - was defeated for re-election, and there's no doubt that a far more favorable environment now exists for improving and expanding Amtrak.

In the campaign, Obama also favored creation of a National Infrastructure Bank for funding such initiatives as reviving the many hundreds of miles of abandoned railroad tracks, which would restore rail service to such cities as Nashville and Las Vegas. Though a primary purpose of that bank was to create jobs, the dividends to our travel facilities are obvious.

Support for the Travel Promotion Act: Numerous members of Congress have endorsed a major program to establish an advertising and marketing medium for encouraging foreign travel to the United States, and Obama was one of the early signatories of that legislation. McCain opposed such use of federal power, and now there is no doubt that a nationally supported organization for promoting travel to the United States will be launched.

Easing of restrictions on travel by Cuban Americans to visit relatives in Cuba: Though the overall travel embargo on Cuba probably will be maintained, at least on paper if not in practice, there undoubtedly will be new regulations increasing the frequency by which Cuban Americans can visit their relatives and raising the amount of money they can spend there.

This was a major issue in South Florida during the campaign, and Obama went strongly on record as permitting greater travel there by Cuban Americans. As to Cuban travel by the rest of us (and despite statements by Obama that he does not support ending the embargo quite yet), it's predicted by many that the federal government will no longer be eager to enforce those restrictions on leisure travel, and the situation will revert to what it was several years ago: a steady traffic there by Americans flying quietly into Havana from Jamaica, the Bahamas, Canada and Mexico.

Major improvements in the air traffic control system: A constant emphasis was directed by candidate Obama to the need for greatly increased funding of air traffic control systems (and candidate McCain advocated the same). The new administration apparently will propose appropriating several billion dollars to measures that should reduce delays and improve safety.

An increase in the number of foreign visitors able to come here without visas: Up until now, it was mainly citizens of westernmost Europe (Ireland, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, etc.) who were allowed to visit the United States without first obtaining expensive visas. During the campaign, Obama suggested adding several other major countries to the visa-free list: Brazil, South Korea, Greece and others. Many observers predict that this may reverse the present downward trend of tourism to the United States.

Is there anything in the travel world that you're hoping Obama will change?