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Visitors to US still facing security grilling
WTM Special Report: Improvements have been made but more needs to be done to stop visitors feeling criminalised and unwelcome when they enter the US, the Travel Industry Association of America has said.
President Roger Dow said that security chiefs are still over-reacting with personal interviews for every potential visitor and the treatment meted out to some nationalities still unacceptable.
But ongoing dialogue with the Department of Homeland Security is improving the situation, he said.
Speaking at World Travel Market, Dow said: “We have got to make security the number one priority. But we have to do that in a way that shows common sense, clarity and has procedures in place to focus on the bad guys.
“There have been stories about negative experiences and that should not happen even to one individual.
“Every opportunity I have during meetings with homeland security I emphasise the need to keep getting better at helping visitors from other countries experience American hospitality at its best from the moment they arrive,” he said. “It has improved but is it where we want it to be? No way. Everyone recognises that it’s an area that needs improvement.”
He said it was high time personal interviews were halted for repeat visitors.
“We have the capacity to understand who the good people are,” said Dow.
Despite the negative publicity over officious security, visitor numbers to the US are expected to hit a record 52 million next year, beating the previous best of 51 million in 2000.
From the UK, numbers in 2005 will rise 1% to 4.7 million with 2006 projections indicating an 8% increase to 5.1 million.
Meanwhile, Dow urged the industry not to over react to reports of an avian flu pandemic.
“Let’s make sure we don’t inadvertently create a travel crisis when there is no proven health crisis,” he said.
Report by Steve Jones
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