Country Needs to Promote Itself More, Group Says

As the economy weakens, the $750 billion-a-year travel industry is trying to find new ways to promote incoming international travel.

In the past six years, the industry figures it has lost $130 billion in potential revenue from foreign visitors, Roger Dow, head of the Travel Industry Association, said on the sidelines of an industry meeting.

He attributes the loss to several factors, including the process to get a travel visa and the perception of how travelers will be treated passing through U.S. Customs.

“The foreign press is beating us over the head with the perception that when you come here it will be a big hassle, you will face major delays and people are going to treat you badly” at the airport, he said.

About 1,000 members of the association met Wednesday in Chicago to discuss some of the challenges the industry faces. Executives said the U.S. needs to market itself better and make the country appear more welcoming to foreigners.

The average wait to get an interview to apply for a visa is 85 days in some countries, said Dow.

Despite the obstacles, travel business from Canada and Mexico has risen in the past couple of years. But the average traveler from those areas spends about $900 per person while visiting, compared to $4,000 dollars spent by Europeans, Dow said.