The U.S. government expects to begin
issuing People Access Security Service cards as early as next
summer for people who regularly cross the U.S.-Canada and
U.S.-Mexico borders.
The so-called
PASS cards would be priced at about $45 and would be used as an
alternative to a regular passport.
Officials shared
that information with a private-sector advisory committee that met
with representatives from the State and Homeland Security
departments last week to discuss travel-related issues, including
improving the entry process at U.S. borders for inbound
visitors.
The inaugural
meeting of the advisory committee was related to "Secure Borders,
Open Doors," a strategy launched in January by the State and
Homeland Security departments to bolster border security while
encouraging inbound tourism.
Members of the
Secure Borders and Open Doors Advisory Committee include an array
of specialists from such fields as health care, academia and
travel, including Travel Industry Association President Roger Dow.
DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff presided over the
meeting.
Dow said the
committee meeting touched on what has been called the three pillars
of the Secure Borders, Open Doors strategy, including new
information technology, creating travel documents for the 21st
century and conducting smarter screening at U.S. points of
entry.
"Task forces are
being formed to aggressively work with the Homeland Security and
State departments," Dow said.
A key aspect of
the effort includes focusing on airports.
Entry into the
U.S. has become a point of contention for inbound visitors. A
recent survey conducted by the Discover America Partnership, an
inbound travel advocacy group, said U.S. security policies have had
a chilling effect on tourism. Respondents to the survey said they
were more afraid of U.S. government officials than the threat of
terrorism or crime.
When the strategy was launched in January,
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced plans to create a
pilot program at Washington Dulles and Houston's Bush
Intercontinental airports, where among other things, "friendly
greeters" would meet inbound visitors, offer assistance and help
create a more welcoming environment.
Dow said he
believed the formation of the advisory committee could be the first
step toward making the U.S. appear more welcoming.
For instance,
committee member Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and
Resorts, as well as his counterparts at theme parks such as
Universal Studios and Busch Gardens, have offered to share their
expertise on managing long lines and large groups with the DHS and
State Department.
Such offers
informally were made in the past, but the committee could provide a
direct avenue for implementation.
Dow said he made
the point during the meeting that "we truly have a crisis. ...We
are sitting here watching" as the U.S.'s worldwide tourism market
share erodes amid a "growing opinion that it is not worth the
hassle to come to the U.S."
He concluded, "We
have got to have some very big action on the part of government and
on the part of Congress."
The committee is
slated to meet at least two times next year.
To contact reporter Michael Milligan, send e-mail to [email protected].