TIA called on Congress and the Administration to make several common sense changes to U.S. policies concerning…
TIA called on Congress and the Administration to make several common sense changes to U.S. policies concerningvisas and passports to stem any further loss of international visitors. During testimony before the House Small Business Committee, TIA President and CEO William S. Norman highlighted the importance of international travel to our nation`s economy and how several new rules and procedures could potentially add to the real or perceived difficulties faced by international travelers wanting to visit the United States.
Protecting America and providing jobs must remain priorities for Congress and the Administration. These goals are not mutually exclusive, and we can and must have both, Mr. Norman told Committee members. He reminded committee members that overseas travel to the U.S. has declined by 32% over the past three years.
Mr. Norman called on Congress and the Administration to address the following three points to help maintain the U.S. as a viable international travel destination:
- TIA urged the State Department to increase the number of visa application interviews only as new resources become
available at high-volume visa issuing posts. - The State Department should not raise the visa application fee in 2004. Raising the fee again will make the U.S. that much less attractive when compared to competing international destinations that do not require visas.
- Congress must immediately introduce and pass legislation that would postpone the deadline for introduction of biometrics
in Visa Waiver Program passports by two years – from October 26, 2004 to October 26, 2006. This will provide much-needed time for our major allies and trading partners to implement this necessary but complicated upgrade in passports in a manner that will not seriously disrupt legitimate international visitation. Two-thirds of all overseas travel to the U.S. is derived from the 27 countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program.
Our country needs and deserves better border security, Mr. Norman stated. But we must be honest with ourselves about how much time and how many resources these new initiatives require.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
