Visitors pay to promote US tourism

The US is charging tourists into America a US$14 fee in a move to promote American tourism. Popular tourist destination the US has introduced a new travellers fee, part of which will be used for “future tourism advertisement, tradeshow participation and journalist visits to convince travellers around the world that we want their business”, Bloomberg reported.

The fee commenced this month as part of a law pushed by companies Marriott International Inc., Walt Disney Co, American Express Co., and Loews Corp and is expected to bring in US$105 million. The legislation was signed earlier this year by President Barack Obama and will affect visitors from 36 countries including U.K, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Australia.

The fee will be divided with four dollars for application processing while $10 will be used for travel promotion. “If the idea is to make the United States more welcoming, raising a tax seems to be counterintuitive,” International Air Transport Association spokesperson Steve Lott said. “Ending long waiting lines and revising complicated entry procedures would lure more travellers than ads,” reported the news agency.

Lott said the industry should not over tax tourists and has shown concern other countries may adopt a similar tax. While US Travel Association Executive Vice President Jeff Freeman defended the fee stating the US is “the only developed nation in the world that is not promoting itself to attract visitors”.

“Other countries have been at the game, and we’ve been standing at the starting line.”
The industry is hoping the fees will lift tourism numbers where the US fell short last year with a 2.4 million decrease in visitors from 25.9 million in 2000.

Sourced=etravelblackboard