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Foreign tourists shy away from U.S.

Benjamin Spillman

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Paperwork and cranky customs officials -- not crime and terrorism -- are scaring foreign tourists away from the United States, according to a report released Wednesday.

Overseas travel to America is down 17 percent since 2000, and the report, published by a travel industry trade group, recommends measures to reverse the trend it says has cost $94 billion in lost foreign spending. The recommendations include everything from speeding the process for tourist visas to encouraging customs workers to be more welcoming.

Las Vegas mirrors the nation as a whole at attracting overseas guests, with overseas visitation still less than it was before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and subsequent travel restrictions. The number of overseas visitors to Las Vegas dipped to 1.2 million in 2002. It has since risen to almost 1.8 million in 2005 but is still below the 2000 level of more than 2.3 million, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Las Vegas drew about 38 million total visitors in 2005.

Overseas travelers who touched down recently in Las Vegas said the perception that America is hostile to foreign guests is worse than reality.

"Cripes, there was a movie about a guy who got stuck in immigration for how many months," said Spencer Sheen, 36, referring to the 2004 movie "The Terminal" in which an Eastern European character played by Tom Hanks is stuck in John F. Kennedy Airport for so long he takes up residence there.

"That is about as in your face as you are going to get," said Sheen, of Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Sheen, who was traveling from London to Las Vegas for vacation, said he thinks the prominent U.S. position in world politics results in more media attention. Travel problems in the United States receive more scrutiny in the global media than tourism woes in other countries.

"There is a line in global society, 'coming to America,' " he said. "It's not 'coming to Canada.' "

Whether the problems foreign travelers face in the United States are real or perceived they are costly, according to the report titled "A Blueprint to Discover America."

In addition to lost spending, the decline has resulted in nearly $16 billion in lost tax revenue since 2000 and deprives the economy of 194,200 jobs annually, it stated.

A group headed by former Department of Homeland of Security Director Tom Ridge called the Discover America Partnership published the paper. The group is sponsored by Travel Industry Association, a hospitality trade group.

The report was one in a series highlighting the decline of foreign travel to the United States since 2000 and suggestions to reverse the trend. It said in one survey more travelers were concerned about U.S. immigration officials than the threat of crime or terrorism.

To reverse the trend the report recommended updating the visa process to accept applications and conduct interviews online and over the telephone, expand the number of countries where citizens would be eligible for visa waivers and speed the process so it takes no longer than 30 days to complete.

The report also suggested hiring 250 more customs and border patrol officers to work at the top airports for inbound foreign traffic, using technology to speed lines and developing a registered traveler program for foreign visitors willing to provide in-depth background information. Additionally, it recommended encouraging customs workers to be more welcoming and urged the government to do more to promote tourism abroad.

"There are some things that will cost more. There are some things that are common courtesy that are free of charge," said Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership.

Jarrod Agen, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, said the tourism report overlooked progress the government has made improving the entry process for foreign guests.

"Our feeling is that the (Department of Homeland Security) has been making strides for the last couple of years," Agen said.

He said the department created "model points of entry" at airports in Washington, D.C., and Houston with enhanced signs and television monitors. It is preparing to launch a Web site that will field complaints from foreign travelers and explain procedures.

"What it will do is create a more user-friendly system," Agen said.

U.S. tourist destinations face competition from established sites such as Italy and Australia. They also face competition from emerging destinations in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Freeman said.

Visitation from Canada and Mexico has boosted foreign travel to the United States and Las Vegas back to pre-Sept. 11 levels. But those visitors don't stay as long or spend as much as overseas tourists.

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