• City of Miami Beach Commission Meeting: U.S. Travel Association President & CEO Geoff Freeman addressed local leaders about Miami’s upcoming opportunities and the need for modernizing our travel systems.
• PortMiami: U.S. Travel and GMCVB teams toured the new MSC Cruises terminal at PortMiami—the largest cruise terminal in the world. 
• Miami Dade College: The U.S. Travel team met with Madeline Pumariega, President of Miami Dade College, and learned about the college’s partnership with FIFA.
• FIFA Host Committee Meeting: The team met with leaders from both the FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee and the New York/New Jersey 2026 Host Committee to discuss ongoing preparations for delivering an unforgettable World Cup experience. 
• Roundtable Discussion: Congressman Carlos Giménez (FL-28) joined U.S. Travel and GMCVB for a discussion on seamless and secure travel and the policies needed to ensure the city’s and nation’s success during the mega-decade of events.
• A Toast to Travel Works Miami Reception: hosted by U.S. Travel, the reception gathered industry leaders and local elected officials to celebrate how Travel Works for the Greater Miami region. 

The Travel Works for Miami Road Show began with Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of U.S. Travel Association, speaking before the City of Miami Beach Commission on the city’s role in attracting millions of visitors during the upcoming major events and the need for our travel systems to be modernized in order to meet the anticipated surge in travel demand. Travel is vital to the Greater Miami region, where visitors spent $21.1 billion in 2023 alone and generated $63 billion in economic impact.

Next, the team joined the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) at the new MSC Cruises terminal at PortMiami—now the largest cruise terminal in the world. The facility can host three ships at once and process up to 36,000 passengers each day. It is also the first cruise terminal to offer a full biometric journey, enhancing security and efficiency across the entire check-in and boarding experience.

The team also visited Miami Dade College, where President Madeline Pumariega shared details of the school’s partnership with FIFA to offer internships tied to the 2026 World Cup. The college’s hospitality center of excellence supports Miami’s growing travel workforce.

Afterward, the U.S. Travel and GMCVB teams met with leaders from both the FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee and the New York/New Jersey 2026 Host Committee to discuss ongoing preparations for delivering an unforgettable World Cup experience.

The next morning, the team hosted an intimate roundtable discussion with U.S. Representative Carlos Giménez (FL-28), covering key priorities such as the need to upgrade America’s outdated travel infrastructure ahead of an expected 40 million international visitors for major global events. The conversation also addressed the urgency of reducing visa wait times and securing congressional funding for TSA to expand the use of advanced identity verification technology across the aviation system.