Travel companies and organizations voiced opposition to
the Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the Trump administration's travel ban, which affects seven countries, but
hope that it will be accompanied by a message of welcome to the rest of the
world.
"We've seen that when you roll up the welcome mat,
there's a ripple of rejection," said National Tour Association president
Pam Inman. "Some travelers, even though not directly affected by the ban,
perceive the U.S. as an unwelcoming destination. Moving forward, we hope the
U.S. government will employ policies and actions that keep us safe without
deterring legitimate travelers and disrupting an important economic sector."
Both ASTA and the U.S. Travel Association said the ruling
needs to be accompanied by a message of welcome.
"An overt message welcoming legitimate international
travelers to the United States should accompany any security steps aimed at
terrorists and those who overstay their visas," said Eben Peck, executive
vice president of advocacy for ASTA.
Such a message, said the U.S. Travel Association's executive
vice president for public affairs Jonathan Grella, should make it clear "that
keeping bad actors out remains a priority, but making it equally clear that
legitimate business and leisure travelers are as welcome and desired as ever in
the United States."
ASTA and U.S. Travel both asked the administration to set
clear guidelines for implementation of the order so as to keep travel
disruptions to a minimum.
The Global Business Travel Association, which has been
scathing in its criticism of this administration's policies since the first
travel ban rollout in early 2017, said that a poll of its members conducted
last week revealed that 62% of U.S. travel buyers believe the Trump administration
is having a negative impact on business travel.
A poll of GBTA's European members found that 38% say their willingness
to plan meetings and events in the United States has decreased because of the administration's
executive orders.
Airbnb founders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan
Blecharczyk spoke out against the Supreme Court's decision, saying they were "profoundly
disappointed" and that the policy "goes against our mission and
values."
"To restrict travel based on a person's nationality or
religion is wrong," they stated. "We believe that travel is a
transformative and powerful experience, and we will continue to open doors and
build bridges between cultures around the world."
"Instead of showing America is open for business, this
decision sends the wrong message and could have a negative economic and
cultural impact," said Peter Pantuso, CEO of the American Bus Association.
"While we agree the security of our nation is the number one priority, we
also recognize security comes from having a strong thriving economy, which
international tourism supports. In short, there needs to be a balance. In the
wake of this ruling, the administration still has the opportunity to clarify
that the U.S. does welcome legitimate international travelers, and we hope it
will consider further action to demonstrate America is truly open for business."