WASHINGTON -- The
Travel Industry Association is launching a worldwide information
campaign on new government security measures for visitors to the
U.S., hoping to help travelers avoid problems and encourage more of
them to come to the U.S.
"We don't see any
signs there is going to be a coherent, broad-based effort [by the
federal government] to dispense this information. That's why we're
going to do it," said Dexter Koehl, the TIA's vice president for
public relations and communications.
The TIA said it
can reach more than 70 countries with an extensive contact list
that includes international media and the top 1,000 international
producers of travel to the U.S.
Among the
policies the TIA will be updating and explaining:
Travelers from
the 27 Visa Waiver Program countries will be enrolled in the
US-VISIT program Oct. 1. They'll undergo the same inspection
process as visa-holding travelers, including fingerprinting and
photographing upon arrival.
Visa Waiver
visitors must have a machine-readable passport by Oct. 26. The TIA
is particularly concerned about the readiness for this requirement
among travelers from Italy, Spain, France and
Switzerland.
The requirement
that Visa Waiver traveler passports contain biometric identifiers,
such as an electronic eye or fingerprint scan, has been extended
until Oct. 26, 2005.
A new Bureau of
Consular Affairs Web site, located at travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_wait.php, shows the
average wait time by location for obtaining visas for travel to the
U.S. Travelers might not like the answer -- it's 38 days in Buenos
Aires and 45 in Seoul -- but at least they will know.
The TIA's goals
go beyond information-sharing. Overzealous U.S. enforcement --
including imprisonment and ill treatment of a respected Brazilian
cardiologist and many journalists -- has led to numerous reports in
other countries about the perils of visiting the U.S.
U.S. Customs and
Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner recently acknowledged
CBP officers have gone too far, handcuffing and detaining people
for obviously technical violations. In late August, he announced
new policies and standards to treat visitors better and give
officers "the discretion necessary to resolve technical infractions
rapidly."
But, TIA
officials are concerned people in other countries don't know that.
"The challenge for this industry is to change the perception abroad
that we're not welcoming," said Richard Webster, the TIA's
government affairs director.
To contact
reporter Andrew Compart, send e-mail to [email protected].