Thread: U.S. immigration officials rude, travelers say

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/147261

U.S. immigration officials rude, travelers say
Cox News Service
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.19.2006
LONDON — When readers of the Telegraph newspaper were asked shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, if security fears had made them think twice about traveling to America, 89 percent said no. But in a recent survey, 90 percent said they would avoid flying to the United States.

The main reason wasn't security fears, but belligerent U.S. immigration officials, whom one Briton called "sarcastic, suspicious, patronizing, and downright rude."

International travel has jumped nearly 20 percent since 2000, but the U.S. share of the world travel market slipped from 9 percent in 2000 to 6 percent last year.

Sean Tipton, a spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents, said America is still the most popular destination for British travelers after Spain and France and that a record 4.2 million people from Britain visited in 2004.

But he agreed that many people have been put off by rude immigration officials.

"We've had British tourists say they won't return to America because of this," he said.

Allyson Stewart-Allen, who runs International Marketing Partners, a consulting firm in London, said the State Department knows it has a problem with how it welcomes visitors.

"Even basic civilities like saying please and thank you would be a terrific start," she said.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/15554431.htm

Posted on Tue, Sep. 19, 2006

Tourists may be avoiding U.S.
Cox News Service

The U.S. is losing its market share of international tourism, luring only 6 percent of world travelers last year, down from 9 percent in 2000. Readers of the Telegraph in London may offer a clue as to why.

They were asked shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks whether security fears had made them think twice about traveling to America, 89 percent said no. But 90 percent in a new poll said that they would avoid flying to the United States.

The main reason: belligerent U.S. immigration officials, whom one Briton called "sarcastic, suspicious, patronizing, and downright rude."

International travel is up 20 percent overall since 2000, but the U.S. is just back to pre-Sept. 11 levels.

The main reason wasn't security fears, but belligerent U.S. immigration officials, whom one Briton called "sarcastic, suspicious, patronizing, and downright rude."

Good, perhaps this is an indication that they are beginning to perform the job with more vigilance!

I guess they are finding out that Americans really aren't as ... hrmm what's the term .... squishy(?) as the media likes to make us out to be?