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America’s image abroad: a crisis
Business leaders from some of the country’s best known travel companies are making a trek to the nation’s capitol this week to suggest ways international visitors are welcomed into the US.
“America’s declining image has an enormous impact on the country’s economic and national security,” said Stevan Porter, president of InterContinental Hotels Group and chairman of Discover America Partnership.
The Partnership is running a non-stop advocacy campaign designed to educate plicy-makers on the power of travel. The group is highlighting obstacles to welcoming visitors and doing research to find better ways to handle international tourists.
He and others are citing a Pew Globe Attitudes Poll that found the US is suffering from a rapidly declining image aboard. In most nations, favorable views of the country has plummeted to well below 50%.
International travelers are increasingly complaining about bad experiences from tightened security and immigration officials.
“We are not exactly greeted warmly by your immigration and customs people,” Gilliam Evans told The Orlando Sentinel in an e-mail. “We often are made to feel we are being viewed with suspicion and mistrust and they only appear to be waiting for the slightest reason to be rid of us.”
One way travel officials are trying to gain a more favorable image is a “model airport” program announced last January. The program aims to revamp the way international travelers are greeted and questioned as they arrive at US airports and go through Customs and Border Protection.
The program is getting its trial run at the George Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport.
Walt Disney World and theme park officials are contributing their expertise in handling crowds. The pilot program is incorporating such long-time theme park staples assigns telling travelers how long a wait can be expected.
“They (theme parks) are able to move large crowds of people efficiently, keep them happy and keep them informed, and that’s what we’re looking for,” said Rick Webster, vice president of government affairs for the Travel Industry Association of America.
He said customer service is a key part of the program. Customs and security officials need to learn to be more courteous, he added.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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