30/12/11. In front of tourists like Agustina Ocampo, entrepreneurs in the tourism sector have their mouths watering.
The 22-year-old Argentine recently spent more than $5,000 on food, lodging and clothing in Las Vegas on a trip that also spanned Seattle, Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo. But Ocampo doubts he will return soon.
"It's a headache," said the student, who had to wait for several months for approval of her application for a tourist visa.
More than a decade after the federal government tightened visa requirements following the Sept. 11, 2011, attacks, visitors from abroad say the obstacles are daunting and sometimes insurmountable.
The tourism sector hopes that will change with its campaign to convince Congress to reform the State Department's visa application process.
"After September 11 we were dismayed and very concerned about safety, and I think that concern still exists," said Jim Evans, a former president of a hotel chain that is now leading a campaign to promote foreign tourism.
But at the same time, he said, the U.S. needs to be "more aware of the importance of each individual traveler."
Tourism leaders say the drop in foreign tourism over the past decade has caused U.S. entrepreneurs and workers to stop receiving $859 billion and not create at least half a million jobs, both pressing needs for a slow-recovering economy.
Although the State Department has recently improved tourist services, it will be difficult to reduce the time it takes to obtain a visa as authorities try to balance controlling terrorist threats and unauthorized immigration with budget constraints that prevent hiring staff.
"Security is our first task," said Edward Ramotowski, director of the department's visa services. "If we have a visa system, it's to enforce U.S. immigration laws."
Proponents of combating unauthorized immigration argue that entering the country is too easy and that admitting more visitors would mean greater risk.
"Everyone wants to find a way to admit as many people as possible, as long as they return to their country at the end of their visit," said Jessica Vaughan, director of political studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based group that opposes unauthorized immigration.
"Many consular officials underestimate people's desire to come and live here," he said.
Some 7.6 million non-immigrant visas were issued in 2001, compared with less than 6.5 million in 2010. The number of visa applications also fell drastically after 2001. The combination of these forces reduced the share of global travelers the U.S. captures to 12% last year, compared with 17% before 2001.
The visa reform is primarily driven by the American Travel Association, the nation's giant chamber of travel agencies, with support from business titans such as the National Retail Federation, Four Seasons Hotels, and Walt Disney Parks and Hotels. Republicans and Democrats support the proposed changes through six bills in both houses of Congress.
Geoff Freeman, operations manager for the travel association, said the waiting time for an interview to obtain a visa should be reduced to 10 days at most.
"Every day of waiting for that interview is a day that that person is not here propping up the American economy," Freeman said.
For most foreigners, making a last-minute decision to travel to New York, Los Angeles, Miami or another popular destination, whether for pleasure or business, would be nearly impossible. The average waiting time after the submission of the visa application in Rio de Janeiro, for example, is 87 days, according to the State Department.
The government comptroller's office, a nonpartisan agency that audits federal programs, said wait times are likely much higher than reported because some department employees don't schedule interviews for periods of high demand.
The vast majority of tourists come from the 36 countries whose citizens do not need a visa for temporary visits. Travel promoters want to add to that list countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Poland and Taiwan, among others, whose citizens are unlikely to try to stay in the United States after their permit expires.
Tourists from countries such as India, China, Mexico and other nations with wealthy people eager to use their passports must obtain the nonimmigrant visa, a process costly in both time and money.
People residing far from a consulate must travel to the site without knowing if their application will be approved. In 2011 approximately 78% of tourist visa applications were approved.
Tourism promoters are calling for the department to adopt videoconferencing as a means of speeding up interviews. Ramotowski said there are no plans to do so because of technology and security issues.
Interviews were not usual before September 11, when consular officials had authority to grant the visa on the basis of the application alone. But since then the requirements have become more rigid and include fingerprint verification and facial recognition of photographs.
The changes proposed by the tourism sector include granting more multiple-entry visas and short-term visas in exchange for higher fees, in the same way that a higher fee is charged to the U.S. citizen who applies for a passport in a hurry.
"We can't give (travelers) the impression that they're not welcome," said Rolf Lundberg, the top lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Argentine tourist Ocampo, who spent her vacation shopping in boutiques and visiting relatives in California, said she would be more eager to return if she knew they wanted her presence.
"Everyone wants to know the Statue of Liberty and Disneyland," he said.
Source: noticias.terra.com.pe
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