NationStates Jolt Archive

The "Discover America Partnership", an organization that concerns itself with tourism in the US, has had a study conducted that showed that it's not just terrorists being deterred from entering the United States:
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. entry process has created a climate of fear and frustration that is turning away foreign business and leisure travelers from visiting the United States – and damaging America’s image abroad. But, according to a new global study conducted by the Discover America Partnership, minor improvements in welcoming travelers could yield substantial diplomatic and economic gains.
“Foreign travelers are in agreement: the U.S. entry process is unpredictable and unfriendly to foreign visitors, it is hurting America’s image abroad and deterring many from visiting the U.S.,” said Thomas Riehle, partner, RT Strategies. “These survey results help to explain the 17 percent decline in overseas travel to the U.S. over the past five years and the 10 percent decline in business travel to the U.S. over the past year.”
# The U.S. entry process is considered the “world’s worst” by travelers

* Travelers rate America’s entry process as the “world’s worst” by greater than a 2:1 margin over the next-worst destination area.
* The U.S. ranks with Africa and the Middle East when it comes to traveler-friendly paperwork and officials.
* 54 percent of international travelers say that immigration officials are rude.
* Travelers to the U.S. are more afraid of U.S. government officials than the threat of terrorism or crime.
* Two-thirds of travelers surveyed fear they will be detained at the border because of a simple mistake or misstatement.
It is noteworthy that world tourism hasn't declined, it's increased.

Link (http://www.poweroftravel.org/release-11-20-06.aspx)

Coming to and from the UK with people from the UK, it didn't appear unfriendly to me.

The US VISIT process seemed to be no more effort than what I had to do to get through Customs with my US passport coming home (or going into the UK).

The only additional thing was the computerized scan of the fingerprints - no ink.

But, now we have biometric US passports - so it's fair all around.

Coming to and from the UK with people from the UK, it didn't appear unfriendly to me.

The US VISIT process seemed to be no more effort than what I had to do to get through Customs with my US passport coming home (or going into the UK).

The only additional thing was the computerized scan of the fingerprints - no ink.

But, now we have biometric US passports - so it's fair all around.I had a different experience. The DHS employee that questioned me as to why I was in Germany was rather unfriendly. Likewise, I discovered that they had soiled some of my clothes when they searched my suitcase. I didn't need a visa, but in order to get one in Germany, you have to call the Embassy on a special number which will cost you more than the average telephone sex hotline.

You must also consider that one of the main deterrents is the way the US is perceived in handling tourists, which will keep people from planning to travel there in the first place. As the study showed, those that visited the US usually came back with much more positive images.

I had a different experience. The DHS employee that questioned me as to why I was in Germany was rather unfriendly.

The British were no more friendly. And I was bounced around from one person to another for about 30 minutes, being asked the same stupid questions.

I still remember a very helpful chap in Atlanta asking me to face the wall and look at him, with the wall being directly behind me, before calling over another, heavily armed, helpful chap when I didn't obey his mutually exclusive instructions. It didn't exactly endear me to the entry procedures in the US.

I still remember a very helpful chap in Atlanta asking me to face the wall and look at him, with the wall being directly behind me, before calling over another, heavily armed, helpful chap when I didn't obey his mutually exclusive instructions. It didn't exactly endear me to the entry procedures in the US.

They just wanted you to pick up the bar of soap, and drop them pants...

I visited the U.S in 2000 and 2003 I can say last time I went it had gotten allot more stressful (mostly because you shitting yourself that they don’t find your Mr Bean gag funny)

Plus the U.S is fairly isolated you can’t expect its tourism to grow at the same rate as other countries (though why you would want something as unstable as tourism as a major industry is beyond me)

I had a different experience. The DHS employee that questioned me as to why I was in Germany was rather unfriendly.

I lived right on the Canadian border for a while, and I would often get grilled as to what I was doing in Canada, as if going to Canada is some sort of crime. I always wanted to tell him, "I was meeting my friend Mohammed, and he wanted me to leave this briefcase in the middle of the Mackinack Bridge at noon tomorrow. He's always saying things like 'Death to America' and 'Kill the infedel scum'. He's a funny guy that Mohammed".

Plus the U.S is fairly isolated you can’t expect its tourism to grow at the same rate as other countries (though why you would want something as unstable as tourism as a major industry is beyond me)Oh, but that's the thing, it's not growing slowly, it's declining.

Oh, but that's the thing, it's not growing slowly, it's declining.

That may be for other reasons as well.

That may be for other reasons as well.Why? Globally, there are more tourists than ever before. And this is a study on behalf of the American tourist industry. They hardly have any reason to be lying about this.

They just wanted you to pick up the bar of soap, and drop them pants...

The fact that this was followed by a fairly long wait at customs after a bag search revealed I was carrying a Manchester dartboard and they couldn't work out what it was despite my explaining it to them I very clear English repeatedly didn't help matters.

I'm not going to visit the US any time soon to spend my time and money there.

Mostly because I don't see why I should be treated like a criminal upon arrival and have my fingerprints taken. :upyours:

Well they are right to be rude and strict on the border ! If they had been doing that for a long time at least there wouldn't be those italians, and irish, and european settlers and... ur wait.

Seriously though, borders are just another crime of governments.

Oh, but that's the thing, it's not growing slowly, it's declining.

maybe its something to do with travel into and inside the E.U being so easy or maybe Euro trip signalled the death of American tourism “customs doesn’t know customs doesn’t know, customs doesn’t know”:D

From what I gather, the number of young women having to endure invasive searches far exceed that subjected to men. The excuse used to be drug smuggling (right, as if Sweden is a major supplier) now its "oh noes terr0istz".

maybe its something to do with travel into and inside the E.U being so easy or maybe Euro trip signalled the death of American tourism “customs doesn’t know customs doesn’t know, customs doesn’t know”:DI'd be interested to know how they guage that though, since traveling within Europe is so free that they don't even have customs at the borders in some places. You just walk right over, hence statistics would be hard to come by. Getting into an EU country from outside is a bit more difficult though.

I suppose there are benefits to not having money to travel abroad, you won't have to deal with stupid and arrogant security people.

with all these useless security checks that seem like they were desogned to incovenience travellers, i alway thought there was a war on tourism.

with all these useless security checks that seem like they were desogned to incovenience travellers, i alway thought there was a war on tourism.

The government doesn't have the balls to implement something that actually works -- like the Israeli model -- because of the shitstorm over "racial" profiling. (despite the fact that last I checked, islam wasn't a race)

Instead, they took the cowardly way out, by implementing a safe, politically correct, and mostly useless system and hoping that the next disaster isn't on their watch. They know that for security, most people will confuse inconvenience with effectiveness, and so do all sorts of stupid crap.

The government doesn't have the balls to implement something that actually works -- like the Israeli model -- because of the shitstorm over "racial" profiling

won't work the Irish have already become a powerful part of America!

Plus as far as I can tell it has worked (though far too excessive since the European methods work a dandy :) )

The government doesn't have the balls to implement something that actually works -- like the Israeli model -- because of the shitstorm over "racial" profiling. (despite the fact that last I checked, islam wasn't a race)

Instead, they took the cowardly way out, by implementing a safe, politically correct, and mostly useless system and hoping that the next disaster isn't on their watch. They know that for security, most people will confuse inconvenience with effectiveness, and so do all sorts of stupid crap.

Can you really profile for Islamic terrorists? Like you said Islam is not a race and people who show they are muslims arn't gunna commit terrorist attacks because real terrorists wouldn't draw attention to themselves.

The government doesn't have the balls to implement something that actually works -- like the Israeli model -- because of the shitstorm over "racial" profiling. (despite the fact that last I checked, islam wasn't a race)

Instead, they took the cowardly way out, by implementing a safe, politically correct, and mostly useless system and hoping that the next disaster isn't on their watch. They know that for security, most people will confuse inconvenience with effectiveness, and so do all sorts of stupid crap.
not all muslims are terrorists, and not all terrorists are muslims.

Im tired of people (Certain Americans)(Im American too)after 9/11 to think if your Muslim your a terrorist and hate America.

1. If your born in the U.S. you most likely arnt going to kill people of your own country
2.People(many of them Muslims) in other countries translate english to languages that Muslims speak in order to help find out about and take out the select few Muslim and non-Muslim terrorists.
3.That religion says nothing about killing people; it is a peacful religion
4.anyone know about the holocaust, Cristians were the German nazi's and no one blames them.

this is what ive learned from the history channel time magazine and a little from school any inaccuracies im terribly sorry for.A little of this is my opinion too.

of course the US has a war on tourism. The liquid ban is a clear sign of that.

of course the US has a war on tourism. The liquid ban is a clear sign of that.

And the little fact that the U.S. makes it so difficult to get into this country. Those security measures must be really in place to piss people off so no one comes back here.

I passed through LA a few years back and it was worse than any other airport I've been to (although I don't travel much). In my opinion, it wasn't so much the secruity checks that where the problem as there is an obvious reason for this (although I was suprised when they made a really old woman get out of her wheelchair to go through a metal detector) but the staff who were generally unhelpful and were shouting at people to hurry up.
I really don't blame people for not wanting to go.

wait a minute... the firt page's posts were meant months ago. OMG, this is a zombie thread.

wait a minute... the firt page's posts were meant months ago. OMG, this is a zombie thread.

Only by 3 months. Not that bad, really.

Only by 3 months. Not that bad, really.

It's still a zombie thread. and it's scary how such a small thread could be a zombie.

It's still a zombie thread. and it's scary how such a small thread could be a zombie.

Especially since the post made that revived the thread could have been done on any current live and healthy threads. I really don't understand how he found this one anyway, with a title about a "war on tourism". Strange.