U.S. officials are currently studying the imposition of additional fees reach to ten dollars over the incoming tourists to U.S.A. from 27 various countries, which citizens are exempted from visa fees, mostly European including England, France and Germany.
The imposition of fees aims at reinforcing the tourism sector in U.S.A. and financing of means of easing procedures of border inspection. The proposals include addition of ten other countries to the countries exempted from visas.
An American tourism source said that rate of those coming to the country decreased with a rate of 17% since year 2000 and they attributed that to the restriction in security procedures, particularly at verification operations that make travel a difficult matter, in addition to an international impression that foreigners are not welcomed in U.S.A..
The source added that imposition of fees around $10 means a lot of what it offers of financing for the country and does not mean much for those coming into the country who rate of their expenditure amounted $4000 in one trip.
The source made it clear that additional fees will pump 200 Million dollars annually, half of which will be dedicated for improving tourism, while the other half will be allocated for reinforcing security measures on borders.
The source pointed out that it is likely to meet proposals with wide opposition by the security officials who believe that increase of exemptions from the visas expose the internal security to danger through allowing persons to enter the country without “enough” verification procedures.
It was confirmed that former Internal Security Secretary Tom Ridge, who is working as consultant to the Thinking Team in Tourism Reality in U.S.A.
stands in support of these proposals and confirmed his support to these recommendations.
