Why aren’t international tourists coming to America?
If you thought of crime…or terrorism…think again.
“Travelers are more afraid of US government officials than the threat of terrorism or crime,” says Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership.
He added: “Whether it’s reality or not doesn’t matter, we have a problem on our hands.”
A Discover America survey has found that by a margin of more than two to one, the US ranked first among 10 destinations that included Africa and the Middle East as the most unfriendly to international travelers.
More than half of those polled said immigration officials are rude, and that the US government does not want their travel business.
Almost two-third came up with a concern that might surprise Americans — foreign tourists were worried they will be detained for hours because of a simple mistake or a misstatement at a US airport.
But the survey also found positives: 72 percent of travelers said they had a “great” time once they got into the US. Sixty-three percent said they felt more favorable toward the United States as a result of their visit.
The subject of how the US can attract more international visitors has become an increasingly hot topic in recent months. The Discover America Partnership was formed late last year in an effort to attract 10 million more international visitors a year.
More and more, there have been public and private initiatives started in recent months.
Cincinnati, for example, has various attractions but recognizing it could not attract foreign visitors on its own, the city joined two others with the same goal — Louisville, Ky., 100 miles to the southwest, and Indianapolis, 100 miles to the northwest.
On the theory that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts, this triangle of cities is marketing itself as a package to foreign tourists — initially from Britain, France and Germany but perhaps later from Japan and other increasingly affluent Asian locations.
The campaign aims to convince foreign tourists that these cities would make ideal stops on a second or third trip after a traveler has seen the Golden Gate Bridge and other major US attractions.
Government efforts are also underway, but some have moves have been thwarted by red tape. Walt Disney’s offer to produce a video showing the overall attractions of the US as rejected recently by the US Customs and Border Protection because of fears it would show favoritism.
International visitation to the US reached more than 51 million in 2006, nearly tied with the record of the same amount set in 2000.
While the numbers show improvement since 9-11, executives are quick to point out that much of that growth came from Canada and Mexico, while larger and more lucrative markets have faded.
PS: no statistics are available to address foreign fears of being detained here but of the 1.1 million people processed into the US each day, only 860 are denied entry.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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