Despite mixed messages from President Donald Trump about rules that govern the accessibility of the US to international visitors, an annual conference hosted here recently by the US Travel Association attracted more than 6,400 attendees from 70 countries — including many Arab nations — 1,300 international and domestic travel buyers and a record 530 journalists.
Hosted for the first time in Washington, DC, the yearly International Pow-Wow (IPW) is the single largest producer of contracts between American destination representatives and overseas tour operators.
For five days each year, travel professionals from every corner of the US — hotels, attractions, sports teams, transportation companies and other travel-related enterprises — meet and conduct business with foreign colleagues who send millions of travelers to the US annually. This year's IPW — the 49th — generated approximately $4.7 billion in direct bookings to American destinations.
US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross was the keynote speaker. Ross said that the Trump Administration wants to support the US travel industry, despite conflicting and often controversial rhetoric about new immigration rules and laptop bans.
The Trump administration is prioritizing travel and tourism, Ross said.
“America is open for business. America is open for travelers. It is open to the millions of international visitors who wish the US well.”
This sunny message, delivered on June 5, contradicts six Twitter posts by Trump, who renewed his pledge to impose a “travel ban” on visitors from eight Muslim-majority countries in the days leading up to Ross’ speech.
Christopher Thompson, head of Brand USA, a Washington-based travel advocacy group, insists that “the US is a welcoming country. Diversity of country and our people is our emphasis.”
Thompson says that — despite recent presidential tweets — most travel policies for international travelers remain unchanged. “It’s more of a perception problem than it is the reality,” he said at an IPW press briefing.
In an effort to counter controversial White House messaging, Brand USA recently launched “One Big Welcome,” a promotional effort where Americans explain why they want to share their localities with visitors.
One Big Welcome is meant to reassure international travelers. However, airline officials and business analysts believe that international travelers continue to be disappointed with how they are greeted when they arrive in the US.
“Nothing has changed about how anybody gets a visa in the world who wants to come to the US,” Thompson told reporters, “and there’s only been one policy change as it relates to entry and that’s the electronics policy with eight countries and ten gateways in those eight countries.”
The IPW’s international advisory chair for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Jimmy Eichelgruen, agrees.
“Middle East travelers are still getting visas. But the process is just taking longer. You can still travel to the US, but maybe not get a five-year visa as before.”
“Visas are adjudicated according to US laws and these visa laws have not changed,” said Kevin Brosnahan, a public affairs officer from the US State Department who spoke on an IPW panel with other immigration, customs and border security officials from the American government.
When Jennifer Gabris, a spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection, was asked at this briefing about the much-maligned “travel ban,” she said simply: “We are honoring the (US) court orders” — a reference to a pair of legal decisions that have effectively halted White House edicts that would have barred a majority of visitors from the Middle East.
Eichelgruen, Delta Airline’s director of sales in Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, said that the increased value of the US dollar may be reducing the number of international travelers to the US. “The dollar is strong and it’s having an impact on travelers. People are now saying the US is no longer a cheap destination.
“It’s tough out there. The strong dollar, visa issues, the laptop ban, political sensitivities — these issues take their toll on the travel industry. Plus, in the back of every Mideast traveler’s mind is the worry: ‘How will I be treated when I arrive?’”
Eichelgruen stresses, however, that he also understands that there must always be full security in order to ensure that all travelers are safe.
“But we also need to get the message out that once you get here, the US is a great place to visit and that Americans are always welcoming,” Eichelgruen said.
“We need to educate folks in this country that when our visitors come here, they’re going to spend a lot of money.”
The 50th IPW will be held in Denver, Colorado, from May 19-23, 2018.
Source: Arab News