By Gary Dickson
On Sept. 11, 2001 the world changed in many ways. Besides the tragic loss of life and massive, symbolic structures that were destroyed, United States and world business was impacted for years. The airline industry was one business category that was decimated, initially. One segment of the airline industry”s clientele, foreign tourism to the United States, was certainly injured for the short term. There are some people who claim that Sept. 11 and the actions that have been taken by the U.S. government since then have caused a permanent scar on the U.S. travel industry, when it comes to foreign visitations.
Last week I wrote about providing incentives to Americans who want to help maintain our status as the top manufacturing country in the world by making products to sell domestically and internationally. President Obama has a goal of doubling U.S. exports in the next five years. That would be difficult to quickly achieve with new mom and pop manufacturing operations. But, there is a way for the country to reach the President”s lofty goal. One of the world”s experts in the travel business, hotelier J.W. Marriott, Jr., the CEO of Marriott International, Inc. believes that the answer is for the U.S. government to make it less difficult for tourists and business travelers to visit the United States.
Marriott recently gave a speech in Washington , D.C. during which he said, “We”ve become a risk-averse country.” He explained that since Sept. 11 America does a horrible job of promoting U.S. tourism. Pulling no punches, he claimed that the tighter security, bureaucratic indifference and a general lack of hospitality from security and Customs workers has placed America in a losing situation, compared to many other destinations, when it comes to attracting foreign tourism business.
Marriott said that he has met with State Department officials and ranking members of other government agencies to draw attention to the plight of the U.S. travel and hospitality industry, but no one seems to be listening. He said, “We keep talking and they look at us and say, ?We”re protecting the country.”” Unfortunately, the government”s stance has been quite costly, especially when you take into consideration that travel and tourism has historically accounted for about 8 percent of all U.S. exports.
Marriott has a name for the time period since Sept. 11. He calls it the “lost decade,” and with good cause. He believes the United States has lost about $450 billion in exports and 440,000 travel/hospitality industry jobs during the past nine-plus years because of the nosedive of foreign travel to America.
I remember watching movies as a kid that showed the stereotypical border agent demanding, “Where are your papers? Your papers must be in order!” Apparently, the United States, where we traditionally welcomed visitors with open arms, has turned into that menacing border guard staring down at a defenseless visitor. The red tape required to come here has grown to become a deterrent for many. The United States now forces people from many countries to wait a minimum of 90 days for a visa and also requires a personal interview with an embassy staff member. It”s easier for world travelers to visit Europe than it is to come to America.
Marriott mentioned in his speech that more Chinese visited Paris last year than the United States. He said each Chinese traveler to the U.S. spends an average of $7,000, so the losses add up quickly when they choose France over America. Marriott said that if we could just boost foreign visitors by 10 percent per year it would add 100,000 jobs to the U.S. economy. He also made the point that once a foreigner visits America, they leave with a more positive opinion, which serves to bolster international relations, one visitor at a time.
Hopefully, President Obama got a copy of Marriott”s speech. I think he should pay attention to someone who knows something about foreign relations. Marriott owns 3,500 hotels located all over the world.
Gary Dickson is the publisher of the Record-Bee. Call him at 263-5636, ext. 24. E-mail him at gdickson@record-bee.com.
