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Brand USA's $250 Million Pandemic-Era Funding Boost Nears Its End
A one-time $250 million injection from Congress that kept Brand USA's budget near full funding is winding down, leaving the U.S. tourism marketing body exposed to federal cuts that stripped as much as $80 million from its annual budget.
The organization plans to spend $158 million in fiscal 2026 and $165 million in fiscal 2027, which starts next month, according to figures it released. Those totals sit roughly in line with the pre-pandemic annual spending laid out in its tax filings.
The cushion that made those budgets possible came from a one-time $250 million boost approved in 2022, which allowed Brand USA to keep operating with a nearly fully funded budget even after federal support was sharply reduced. The subsequent funding reduction erased as much as $80 million from its yearly budget.
Cash reserves are thinning as the windfall is drawn down. After a $114.1 million drawdown, Brand USA expects to end September 2027 with reserves closer to $51 million, with the bulk of that amount intended to stay untouched for emergencies.
With fewer dollars arriving from federal funding and from partner contributions, the destination marketing arm faces a tighter financial picture as it approaches the end of the congressional injection.
The group's advertising has continued in the meantime, including a fall 2025 campaign that appeared on a baggage carousel at London's Heathrow Airport.