Worcester, MA – The travel industry saw close to one billion international travelers in the first nine months of 2016 according to the World Tourism Organization, that’s 34 million more than the same period the prior year — and the U.S. Postal Service is ready to prepare travelers for such future excursions.

Now is the time to plan that international trip of your dreams. To make it easier to apply for a U.S. Passport, the Worcester Post Office is hosting a Passport Day with extended hours on Saturday, March 18.

Just stop by the Worcester Post Office at 4 E Central St. between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on March 18, no appointment is necessary. Postal clerks can even take your passport photo if you do not have one.

Worcester Postmaster Dan O’Neill says “With routine passport processing times of six weeks, it’s never too early to start planning for that out-of-country trip. And we’re here to help.” He cites USPS.com as an excellent resource for getting passport paperwork and locating other acceptance facilities across the nation.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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