b'LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORA Strong Summer Season Wrap-upAT THE HELMJOHN GROUNDWATER // EXECUTIVE DIRECTORA ccording to reports from U.S. travel experts, Ferry are each reporting more than 20 million passengers airlines, hotels, and other travel related service carried annually. Public ferry systems in San Francisco are companies,consumertravelrelatedspendingin also recording increases in ridership this year. According to the U.S. markets held steady in July and is projected toa report published by San Francisco Bay Ferry in the spring, remainequallystronginAugustasthesummervacation ferry operators there experienced a first quarter increase of seasonwindsdown.TheWorldTravel&TourismCouncil 21 percent compared to the same period in 2024. This rep-has forecast that U.S. touristsresented a 47 percent increase willspendaround$169bil- in ridership over a two-yearlion throughout 2025. WhileDomestic passenger vesselperiod. Similarly, Golden Gate this is an apparent decrease inoperators are reportingFerrysridershipincreased spending when compared tobrisk business in mostapproximately16percentin previousyears,thesumisstill ayearstimeand40percent significant. The U.S. Travel U.S. markets as many U.S.since 2023. Associationprojectstotaltravelers appear to have U.S.travelspendingtogrow PVA SEEKS3.9percentto$1.35trillionchosen home destinationsREGULATORY RELIEF by the end of 2025, with ad- over foreign excursions.FOR MEMBERSditionalgrowthexpectedtoLeadersandstaffofPVA reach $1.46 trillion by 2028.This has contributedcontinue to work diligently to to the positive overallsupport member needs across Atthesametime,domesticbusiness climate for theallindustrysegments.PVAs passengervesseloperatorsare BoardofDirectors,thePVA reportingbriskbusinessinpassenger vessel industrySafety and Security Commit-mostU.S.marketsasmanythis spring and summer. tee, and the PVA Regulatory U.S.travelersappeartohave Committee meet regularly to chosenhomedestinationsdeliberateonoperationalis-overforeignexcursions.Thishascontributedtotheposi- sues of importance to our industry. As has been reported, tiveoverallbusinessclimateforthepassengervesselindus- PVA hit the ground running this year with an important try this spring and summer, despite spotty, poor springletter to the Trump administration seeking relief from key weather in certain regions. In addition, Passenger Vesselfederalregulationswhichhavebeenplaguingthepassen-Association(PVA)membervesseloperatorsarereporting gervesselindustryforyears.ThefirstistheTransportationanuptickincorporatebookingsandspecialeventsafter Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and PVA urged severalyearsofstaticperformance. that credentialed and non-credentialed mariners be exempt fromhavingtoacquireaTWICcard.Theletter,sentoverFerryoperatorsinmajorU.S.citieshavewitnessedreturning the signature of PVA 2025 President Stephen Jones, said, riders albeit in differing commuter patterns. New York CityWebelievethatthereareseveralopportunitiesfortheex-has reported large increases in both commuter and touristecutivebranchtomakepolicychangesthatwilleliminateridershipoverthelastseveralyears.InApril,NYCFerry unnecessary regulatory burdens on the domestic passenger experienced its second-highest ridership, with 224,000 pas- vesselindustryandindeedtheU.S.maritimeindustryasasengers in just one week. Both Staten Island Ferry and NYCwhole. Read the letter here.Continued on page 527 AUGUST 2025'