On October 25, 2024, Texas Governor Greg Abbott met with Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of U.S. Travel, at American Airlines Headquarters in Fort Worth to discuss the significant role of Texas's travel and tourism industry in boosting the state's economy. In 2023, travel spending in the U.S. reached an impressive $2.8 trillion, supporting over 15 million jobs nationwide. Texas alone saw visitors spending $94.8 billion, sustaining approximately 1.3 million jobs within the state. Abbott emphasized the importance of major events, such as the Red River Showdown and the Austin City Limits Music Festival, in drawing visitors to Texas. He also noted the upcoming FIFA World Cup matches scheduled to take place at AT&T Stadium and NRG Stadium, which are expected to further enhance tourism and economic activity in the region. Freeman underscored the critical importance of travel to the Texas economy and workforce, reinforcing the notion that tourism is a vital component of the state's economic landscape [11cfa185].
In addition to tourism discussions, Governor Abbott has been actively strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with various countries. His recent trip to East Asia included opening a Texas-Taiwan office in Taipei, aimed at enhancing business relations and giving Taiwan a more prominent voice internationally. Abbott met with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and signed a letter of intent to foster stronger economic ties, noting that Taiwan is Texas' seventh-largest trade partner, with $21.3 billion in trade in 2023. Taiwanese companies have been expanding into Texas, including a $5 billion silicon wafer plant in Sherman [4fc70975].
Abbott also championed the economic partnership between Texas and South Korea during his visit to Seoul, where he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss deepening trade relations. South Korea has been a leading foreign investor in Texas, with $20.59 billion invested over the past decade [2b2ada69].
Furthermore, Abbott visited India to strengthen ties between the two regions. During his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, both leaders discussed shared values and the importance of India-Texas relations. In the last decade, Indian companies have invested $1.4 billion in Texas, creating over 10,300 jobs [1eacbe5b].
Meanwhile, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is also pursuing economic ties through a trade mission to Italy, aiming to develop new partnerships and strengthen existing ones. Italy is a top-15 trading partner with Georgia, with significant investments supporting thousands of jobs [297b7c03].