More bad news for US tourism

LONDON – More confirmation that the United States is turning visitors away with its heightened security regime.

Readers of the UK Telegraph have voted with feet by staying away from the US following the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks in 2001, which persuaded the US government to tighten its grip on its borders, whatever the cost to tourism.

In introducing the 2007 Telegraph Travel Awards, the newspapers noted that even today the security process is perceived to be unwelcoming.

“Telegraph Travel readers have regularly complained about aggressive questioning by over-zealous security staff, guilty until proven innocent attitudes, intrusive fingerprinting and lengthy delays.

“Others have quipped that the ‘land of the free’ had become the ‘land of the fee’, as a US$10 entry charge was imposed on all visitors to pay for security improvements.

“With the dollar now worth less than 50p, there has never been a better time to go – financially, at least. Yet while global tourism continues its inexorable expansion, the number of visitors to the US has risen by just one per cent in a decade.

“Money, it seems, is not enough to buy your love, as the US has disappeared entirely from Telegraph Travel’s shortlist of favourite destinations.

US cities have also fallen out of favour. A decade ago, New York and San Francisco were two of (Telegraph readers’) top three cities; now only the Big Apple makes the top 10.

“Hollywood figures such as Robert De Niro have been signed up for expensive marketing campaigns (although perhaps not to extol the virtues of New York’s yellow cabs), while new travel industry groups have proposed extensive changes to legislation in order to improve the entry procedure and encourage you back.

“But a combination of poor marketing, misguided security measures and mistrust of US foreign policy under George Bush have acted as a counterbalance to the city’s obvious attractions.

It has also been a bad month for Paris. Ongoing strikes marred the launch of the new high-speed Eurostar, rioters have again taken to the streets, and Tokyo has snatched its mantle as gourmet capital of the world (having won more Michelin stars).

And the Telegraph Travel winners are:

Favourite Destination Worldwide
1. New Zealand 
2. Maldives 
3. Australia

Best Specialist Travel Organiser
1. Trailfinders 
2. Airline Network 
3. Travelbag

Best No-Frills Airline 
1. Air Berlin 
2. Jet2 
3. Zoom

Best Scheduled Airline
1. Singapore Airlines 
2. Emirates 
3. Qatar Airways

Best Charter Airline
1. Monarch
2. Thomsonfly/ TUI 
3. First Choice Airlines

Favourite British Airport
1. Gatwick
2. Manchester 
3. Birmingham

Favourite European Country
1. Italy 
2. Greece 
3. Switzerland

Favourite Foreign City
1. Sydney 
2. Cape Town 
3. Vancouver

Favourite UK City
1. York 
2. Edinburgh 
3. Bath

Favourite City Hotel
1. Shangri-La, Bangkok 
2. Shangri-La, Singapore 
3. Le Meridien, Dubai

Favourite UK Hotel
1. The Savoy, London 
2. Gleneagles, Perthshire 
3. Hotel du vin, Birmingham

Favourite Resort Hotel
1. Jumeirah Beach, Dubai 
2. Amathus, Paphos 
3. Royal Savoy, Funchal

Favourite Ski Resort
1. Val D’Isère 
2. Méribel 
3. Whistler

Best Ski Company
1. Thomson 
2. Crystal Holidays 
3. Inghams

Best Travel Website
1. Tripadvisor.co.uk 
2. Dealchecker.co.uk 
3. Kayak.co.uk

Best Cruise Line
1. Cunard 
2. P&O Cruises 
3. Fred Olsen

Best Car Hire Company
1. Avis 
2. Europcar 
3. Hertz

Best Ferry Company
1. Brittany Ferries 
2. Norfolkline 
3. SpeedFerries

Best Tour Operator
1. Titan Travel 
2. Kuoni 
3. Saga