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“America’s open door is a brick wall”

March 4, 2008

What’s wrong with this picture? An anemic dollar is making the United States a bargain and worldwide travel is booming, but industry estimates suggest an 11 percent drop in the number of overseas visitors last year, compared with 2000. “America’s open door,” says Roger Dow, chief executive of the Travel Industry Association, “is a brick wall.”

When I first saw the statistic in a TIA announcement last week, I wasn’t surprised. But this morning I read an insightful write-up on the issue in the Business Journal that made me do a double-take. Seems foreign media is really trashing the U.S. as a destination.

For example, the Journal cites a scathing review by Matt Rudd of London’s Sunday Times.

Nowhere else can a visitor expect such a spirit-crushingly frosty reception. A preflight e-interrogation, epic queues at immigration, thin-lipped questioning from aggressive border guards, and an outside chance of a rubber-gloved rectal rummage are all part of the fun.

Rudd advised his readers to consider “other more welcoming holiday options. Such as Iran or North Korea.”

Tom Wharton at the Salt Lake City Tribune noted the critical article, too, and added one of his own — a letter from a friend about traveling to the states.

Traveling through the USA is not very easy for us anymore. The U.S. government wants to know everything. Who you are. Who you will meet (and how did you meet these Americans and are you sure they are not criminals!). Where you will stay (this is the biggest problem. I’d like to backpack and go with the flow. Impossible in the USA for us at the moment). And when you will leave. I am not a terrorist.

All of this has left some foreign media wondering if America is more hassle than it’s worth. (Fortunately, the answer is usually “yes” but I can’t image everyone will agree.)

Has Lady Liberty dropped the torch and extended her middle finger to tourists?

Yes, and if something isn’t done about it soon, America will become a second-rate, B-list destination for international visitors.

Don’t believe me? Just watch.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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5 comments

  • Joe Farrell

    We’re so darn ‘scared’ of the world that were are definitely overdoing the security thing.

    I’ve gotten the third degree coming back from Europe as an American citizen with an American passport. Finally I asked the immigration officer whether I had a legal right to return to my country and why I getting the third degree about things outside his jurisdiction. He just grunted and gave me back my passport and pointed down the lane.

    I am tired of us treating everyone as a terrorist. The terrorists are predominantly [all?] male and Muslim. The few women The fear of profiling terrorists drives me crazy. You go ANYWHERE else in the world and they profile potential criminals. We have stripped our rights and freedoms so soccer moms can ‘feel’ safe. And politicians can claim there have been no more attacks on their watch.

    If we continue to view our fellow citizens as a risk, then we will never be welcoming to others. The view of Fortress America is not one in which I would want to voluntarily live. I’ll take a little risk, even for my own family, to get some of our freedoms and friendliness back.

  • Arjun

    It will be interesting to see what the upcoming election will do. As a Canadian, I know “Fortress Americans” are not much for leaving the friendly confines of the Homeland either. Trips north of the border are down and have declined every year since 9/11. And now that the American dollar is weak, well, that’s just another reason to stay home. Of course, less Canadians have been going to the US as well – or they had been until our dollar hit parity with the greenback. The decline in Americans has been offset here largely by an increase in Europeans – and Latin Americans. And by increased internal tourism as well. Canadians seem to be going to the US to shop and take the sun in midwinter. But not necessarily to “travel.”
    As I said, the world’s reaction to the upcoming election will be interesting….

  • Jasper

    The funny thing is that it is mostly a problem of attitude, it’s not so much the info that a lot of people make a lot of hoopla about.

    What strikes me is that often the ‘US’ line at a port of entry is well-staffed and nearly non-existing, while the ‘alien’ line (can we just be called foreigners please?) is full length and understaffed.

    Signs points to either one after often poor, and many airports end up with people yelling at incoming travelers to go to one line or the other. Do you have to yell? Seriously. The sign says ‘Welcome to the USA’, people come out of a long flight and are tired and disoriented. Stop yelling at them!

    Furthermore, most immigration officers are overworked, and short-tempered. Now I acknowledge that many visitors don’t have their paperwork in order, but I’ve never had that in other countries (Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Japan, EU).

    To me it is always puzzling, that the US – the country where marketing is omnipresent – is not able to put some marketing in it’s entry process. It’s not that hard. Inform the visitors, give them something useful to look at while in line, and get some immigration officers that are not overworked and polite. Oh, and it would be nice if not every third of them would look at my visa as if they’ve never seen one before.

    And here’s another concerning one. I’ve got several Chinese friends whose parents just walked into the country without understanding a word of English.

    And here’s a nice way to select the ‘unlucky’ person who gets extra screening. In Mexico (Cancun that is), you have to hit a big gameshowbutton next to a traffic light. Do you get green, you’re in. Do you get red, you get to go with Manuel and his glove box. But guess what. Nobody feels unjustly picked, because it’s a random generator.

  • http://www.accessamerica.com Mark Cipolletti, Access America

    Interesting post and comments. On a lighter note, I thought this data might interest folks following this thread: Our company just did a survey of American families asking them about their plans to travel for spring break and if the economy would prompt them to scale back on spring break vacations. 47% of surveyed families (that’s families with kids under the age of 18) said yes, they plan to scale-back spring break plans due to the uncertain economy in the US. Of those families that plan to scale-back more than 60% report they won’t take a vacation at all. Pick up that story here if you’d like more: http://www.accessamerica.com/AA/Press.aspx?PressID=1760

  • James

    The USA is closed to visitors unless you are from one of the Visa waiver countries. My wife is from Peru and we wanted her sister to attend the wedding in the USA, well as you can imagine the consulate in Peru denied her Visa app. I was there in Peru at the consulate with my wife’s sister and the idiot made the statement he rejected her because they have to be 100% sure someone will return. How can they possibly ever be 100% sure someone is going to return??? Oh and there is a non-refundable $100 fee for just applying. Does this sound friendly or welcoming??

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