The Travel Industry Association, in
cooperation with the Travel Business Roundtable, launched a Web
site to assist travelers who seek information on how to obtain a
passport.
The site, www.getapassportnow.com, went live on Dec. 11, a
little more than a month before the new passport rules under the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative take effect.
"Our objective
here is to assist both the Department of State and the Department
of Homeland Security and their efforts to communicate what the new
passport requirements are as a result of the legislation having to
do with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative," said TIA
President Roger Dow.
'People speak'
GetaPassportNow.com, said Dow, is designed to provide
"one-stop shopping for people who want information about getting a
passport and to provide that information in what I call 'people
speak': very clear information and details in a few short
sentences."
Under the WHTI,
which goes into effect on Jan. 23, all airline passengers entering
the U.S. will be required to have a valid passport.
By June 1, 2009,
the same requirement will be extended to travelers entering the
U.S. via land borders and seaports.
However, it is
possible that the requirement for land borders and seaports could
go into effect earlier, if government agencies are able to speed up
the development of certain procedures.
"The TIA, TBR and
the travel industry support the goals of the Western Hemisphere
Travel Initiative, which is to make the U.S. more secure," said
Richard Webster, the TIA's vice president of government
affairs.
"We frankly think
the biggest challenge [for the U.S. government] and for us is
communication and outreach to the traveling public. They need to
have it explained to them in very simple and clear language, and we
hope this site helps to do that."
The site breaks
down the WHTI requirements for air, sea and land travelers and
serves as a portal to government Web sites where they can obtain
information on how to get a passport.
Another feature
of GetaPassportNow.com is a search function that helps travelers
locate a U.S. passport office based on their ZIP code.
The Web site
provides similar assistance and links to aid citizens of Mexico and
Canada.
Currently,
Americans traveling by plane need only a birth certificate or a
driver's licence to visit Canada, Mexico and most countries in the
Caribbean.
Passport demand up 60%
Dow said that
only 27% of Americans have passports, while about 40% of Canadians
do.
However, in light
of the upcoming WHTI regulations, passport demand is up
substantially, said Dow.
Dow said demand
is up 60% from last year, with the State Dept. expected to issue as
many as 15 million passports in 2006.
The WHTI has its
origins in an anti-terrorism measure signed into law in December of
2004 by President Bush that mandated the development of programs to
improve border security.
In late
September, Congress approved a provision that delayed until June 1,
2009, implementation of passport requirements for travelers
re-entering the U.S. via land borders and seaports.
Such a lengthy
extension was not enacted for the airline-passenger requirement,
however.
To contact reporter Michael Milligan, send e-mail to [email protected].