| Wednesday, February 07, 2007 |
| US travel industry unveils plan to lure more visitors |
The travel industry in the United States has come up with a proposal to reverse the decline in overseas visitors to the United States by speeding the approval of visa applications and the processing of international travelers at US airports.
The Discover America Partnership has called for a public-private travel promotion campaign aimed at improving the United State's image abroad.
Overseas travel to the United States has decreased by 17 percent since 2001 – business travel fell by 10% from 2004 to 2005.
This decline has cost the US economy $93 billion and nearly 200,000 jobs since 2001, according to the Partnership.
According to analysts, this `travel crisis' is hurting the US economy, national security and global standing.
"It is well within America's reach to be both more welcoming and more secure," says Jay Resulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
The Partnership estimates that its proposals would cost $300 million, but would return much more than that in tax revenue and spending at US businesses.
The Partnership recommends that staffing at US consulates should be increased so that all visa applications would be processed within 30 days.
Also, the number of border officers at major international airports also should be increased so that international travelers can be processed in 30 minutes or less, according to the proposal.Labels: Travel |
| posted by a correspondent @ 11:19 AM |
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