American Music Tourism Act of 2025
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The bill would direct the federal government's tourism promotion office to actively identify and promote music-related destinations and events, such as concert venues, festivals, and music museums, to both domestic and international travelers.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend the Visit America Act to add music tourism to the responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism. It would require the office to identify locations and events important to music tourism and to facilitate and promote both domestic and international travel to them, alongside its existing work promoting sports and recreation tourism, which the bill also expands to cover international travelers. The bill defines "music tourism" to include visiting music-related museums, studios, and venues, and attending festivals, concerts, or live performances. It would also require the Assistant Secretary to report to two congressional committees on progress toward these travel-promotion goals within one year of enactment and every two years afterward. The bill does not create new funding, a new agency, or new regulatory authority beyond this promotional and reporting mandate.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the Assistant Secretary to identify music-related locations and events and promote domestic travel and tourism to them
- 2Would require facilitating and promoting international travel and tourism to music locations and events, alongside existing international sports and recreation tourism promotion
- 3Would require the Assistant Secretary to submit a report to congressional committees on travel-promotion goals within one year of enactment and every two years thereafter
- 4Would add a statutory definition of "music tourism" covering visits to music-related sites and attendance at festivals, concerts, or live performances
Who would be affected
The Department of Commerce's National Travel and Tourism Office and its Assistant Secretary, who would gain new promotional duties; the tourism, hospitality, and live-music industries that could benefit from federal promotion; and the Senate Commerce Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee, which would receive the required reports.
Why it matters
By formally tasking a federal office with promoting music destinations, communities with music festivals, historic venues, and museums could see increased federal marketing support aimed at drawing domestic and international visitors, potentially benefiting local tourism economies without requiring new appropriations.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Visit America Act (15 U.S.C. 9803(b)) (Sec. 2(a))
Adds a new duty for the Assistant Secretary to identify and promote domestic music tourism locations and events
Amends Visit America Act (15 U.S.C. 9803(d)) (Sec. 2(b))
Rewrites the international travel facilitation section to add promotion of international music tourism and expand sports/recreation promotion internationally
Amends Visit America Act (15 U.S.C. 9803(f)) (Sec. 2(c))
Adds a recurring reporting requirement to Congress on travel-promotion goals every two years after an initial one-year report
Amends Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, division BB, title VI (15 U.S.C. 9801) (Sec. 2(d))
Adds a statutory definition of "music tourism" to the definitions section
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Deadline for the Assistant Secretary's first report on travel-promotion goals to Congress
- Subsequent reports on travel-promotion goals to Congress
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 617 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025–2030 period, with no effect on direct spending or revenues.
H.R. 617, the American Music Tourism Act of 2025, would require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to promote music tourism and report periodically to Congress. CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025–2030 period, all of which would be subject to the availability of appropriated (discretionary) funds. The bill would have no effect on direct (mandatory) spending or revenues over the 2025–2035 period, so pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
How implementation would work
The Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism would incorporate music tourism identification and promotion into existing office functions, working alongside other federal agencies as needed. No new funding or rulemaking process is specified. The main accountability mechanism is the reporting requirement: a report on activities, findings, achievements, and vulnerabilities related to the office's domestic and international travel goals must go to the Senate Commerce Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee within one year of enactment, then every two years thereafter.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 59.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill directs the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) of the Department of Commerce to promote tourism to music-related and sports attractions.
The bill requires NTTO to promote domestic and international travel and tourism to U.S. music festivals, concert venues, and other music-related attractions and locations. The bill also expands NTTO's current mandate to facilitate sports and recreation events and activities to include the promotion of international travel and tourism to such activities in the United States.
NTTO must report its activities and findings to Congress within one year after the bill's enactment and, thereafter, every two years.
Legislative subjects
Arts, Culture, Religion; Congressional oversight; Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers; Music; Performing arts; Travel and tourism
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-69