Marriott Says Long Waits for Visas Hurt Tourism to the U.S

Inefficiencies in the visa process and long waiting periods are hindering the U.S. from capturing a larger share of the inbound visitor market, according to the head of Marriott Hotels.

Speaking at a meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico City Thursday, J.W. Marriott, chairman and CEO of Marriott International, cited China as an example.

He noted that the U.S. received less than 1 percent, or 320,000 of the 34 million Chinese who traveled abroad in 2006. Travel groups have echoed similar concerns in recent times.

The Travel Industry Association has noted, for example, that it takes nearly 100 days for travelers from Brazil to receive visas to visit the U.S.

Meanwhile, the Discover America Partnership, an inbound travel advocacy group, cited a visitor forecast by the Commerce Dept., said it may take until 2010 before inbound arrivals return to heady 2000 levels of 26 million travelers.

Last year, as Congress took up the issue of immigration reform, Marriott was a vocal critic of a House immigration bill that would have slapped criminal charges against companies that hired illegal immigrants, knowingly or unknowingly.

Congress ultimately was unable to reach an accord on the issue, which is expected to resurface during the 2008 session of Congress.