This is a no-brainer. Since Sept. 11, tourism from international visitor has dropped significantly. With the poor image of the US among many, this simply adds to the drop. The process of applying for a visa, and the non-welcoming atmosphere at various airports simply are scaring many visitors away from the US.
This report indicates the effort being done by the Homeland Security and the Dept. of State in changing that by consulting with Disney and other theme park operators. However, as far as I can tell, it certainly hasn't amounted to anything substantial. Until this is implimented across the board, and immigration officials treat visitors with more respect, the impression will remain. And the strange thing is that having these officials simply smile or being friendly while they do their jobs isn't THAT difficult either! That is certainly a simple FIRST STEP in all of this and could easily make an impact to these visitors.
Zz.
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