The United States: Not As Bad As You Think
The US is a big, mean bully--or so many seem to think: Since 9/11, tourists are skipping the States because border security is so tight and uninviting. So the US travel industry is making a big push to work on its image. And they've hired Tom Ridge, the former Homeland Security chief who made getting into the country so damn hard to begin with. He says that tourists shouldn't avoid the states:
People, I think, have a sense that they're not quite as welcome in America as they were on September 10, 2001, and that's the furthest thing from the truth. So, we have to dust off the welcoming mat.
While the New York Times covered the other side of this story last week--with tales of surely border guards, etc.--today's the day that lobbyists are headed to Washington, DC to hype the Discover America Partnership, which was created last year by industry heavies like Disney and Marriott.
The group hopes to streamline the visa application process and add customs agents to make it easier to visit the States. The industry is also hoping to score $200 million to promote foreign tourism to the US. Hopefully they use it to buy a better tag line than Australia did.
Related Stories:
· Discover America Partnership [Official Site]
· From Homeland Security to Travel Booster [NPR]
· Tourism Boards coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: are you my rik?]
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