5 ms·

Has anyone done a study of how much this is damaging the tourism industry in the USA? I have 1001 places I want to go, but all those in the USA shifted down a l

by drats 15y ago

Has anyone done a study of how much this is damaging the tourism industry in the USA? I have 1001 places I want to go, but all those in the USA shifted down a lot lower on the list after they started a lot of the airport security/TSA measures. Airport security stuff annoys me to no end in other places too because half of them, or more than half, seem to literally be standing around doing nothing and the other half do their jobs rudely.

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
panacea 15y ago
This is just a small data-point, but I was seriously worried about visiting the US based on what I'd heard about customs and immigration there. And this is from a white 'middle-class' male living in London with no beard. I ended up visiting anyway (I really wanted to research Philly Cheesesteaks, Maine Lobster and see the colours of the New England Autumn/Fall), but I definitely thought long and hard about it and was apprehensive. I also made sure my medical travel insurance was solid. Now, maybe I live in a paranoid white-male bubble that reads about this stuff, and that informed my apprehension, but I personally think it would turn off many, many people from visiting.
- mseebach 15y ago
  Any friction will ultimately affect "conversions", although I think the friction is probably smaller that we'd think. Most people don't spend much time reading and fretting about the TSA online, so for those, standing in line for half an hour and having your passport stamped is just part of the excitement of travelling (for less experienced travelers). As a fraction of the total time and bother of intercontinental travel, it's almost negligible.
  - GFischer 15y ago
    "Most people don't spend much time reading and fretting about the TSA online" That's only true for countries under the U.S. Visa Waiver, which are maybe 5% of the world's population (basically European Union and Australia). For the remaining 93% of us, we have to think long and hard and plan far ahead before visiting the U.S., and that means being aware of all the issues or risk deportation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Waiver_Program http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Waiver_Program And yes, I believe it does affect conversion significantly, but, coincidentally, we're the poorer 93% .
    - mseebach 15y ago
      Sure - but the visa madness predates the TSA/terror madness if I'm not mistaken?
      - GFischer 15y ago
        Yes, but it was much easier before September 11. Uruguay was in the Visa Waiver program back then. "Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the George W. Bush Administration decided to tighten entry requirements into the United States" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Waiver_Program http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Waiver_Program
reader5000 15y ago
I'm American and it turns me off from travelling. All air travel now carries the inherent risk of sexual molestation from a high school dropout. No thanks, Ill just stay home and enjoy twitter, apparently now along with 1000 US federal agents. America is getting more awesome every week.
GFischer 15y ago
I've actively avoided the U.S. even though I still want to go, because of those same issues. I even was a few meters from the U.S. (Niagara Falls) and avoided going because of all the visa complications and expenses plus the security measures (if it had been a given I'd be accepted I would have gone, but they don't like young unattached people saying they want to do "tourism", they expect we'll want to stay).
- Vivtek 15y ago
  The Canadian side of the Falls is by far the better, anyway.
- madflo 15y ago
  French national who visited Canada a few months ago here. I crossed the US/CA border with only a small backpack ( I left my luggage at the bus station ) and the US border agents after the Rainbow Bridge where fun and welcoming. It wasn't the case in SFO, after a 12 hours flight from Paris, the agent was OK but far from welcoming.
  - GFischer 15y ago
    As a Uruguay national, I can't "just cross". I have to apply for a visa, and at the time there was a significant chance of it being denied - and forget about being refunded, and chances of it being accepted after re-applying drop dramatically. So it isn't worth it. I could probably be accepted for a visa now since I "settled down". And Canadian customs and inmigration were very friendly, I don't doubt the U.S. people might be the same (though they did fingerprint my father the time he was there, and he reported a few not so friendly times, and he is a frequent visitor).
kitsune_ 15y ago
I decided not to visit America this year with my gf because of some recent horror stories from my friends. Instead we'll visit South Korea for a month.
swombat 15y ago
I've actively avoided the US because of its immigration policy </anecdotal evidence>.
antidaily 15y ago
It's bad everywhere I've been. Europe has basically the same security measures. I was just through Schipul and Zurich.
epscylonb 15y ago
As I understand it, pre 9/11 air travel domestically in the USA was like hopping on a bus. Europe had terrorist incidents involving planes long before 9/11. As a consequence air travel (domestic or international) had greater security checks but nowhere near the level we see now in America. Here is the problem, no amount of security checks can guarantee that there will not be a terrorist incident on a plane. Even accounting for 9/11, other terrorist incidents on airplanes and plane crashes, the likelihood of you being killed in one is very small. But the politicians are faced with a decision, respect civil liberties and relax security to common sense levels or ratchet up security to ridiculous levels. If they do the first and a terrorist attack occurs they will get the blame. Ultimately it is a risk problem, and it is the voters that need to tell those in charge that they understand the risk and won't blame the government for "not protecting them" if something bad happens to them.
Nick_C 15y ago
> Has anyone done a study of how much this is damaging the tourism industry in the USA? It has been reported here in Australia that the US tourism bureau (or whatever they are called) is very concerned about it. Numbers are way down over the last several years. They will be running an ad campaign this year

by drats 15y ago

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

panacea 15y ago

This is just a small data-point, but I was seriously worried about visiting the US based on what I'd heard about customs and immigration there. And this is from a white 'middle-class' male living in London with no beard. I ended up visiting anyway (I really wanted to research Philly Cheesesteaks, Maine Lobster and see the colours of the New England Autumn/Fall), but I definitely thought long and hard about it and was apprehensive. I also made sure my medical travel insurance was solid. Now, maybe I live in a paranoid white-male bubble that reads about this stuff, and that informed my apprehension, but I personally think it would turn off many, many people from visiting.

mseebach 15y ago
Any friction will ultimately affect "conversions", although I think the friction is probably smaller that we'd think. Most people don't spend much time reading and fretting about the TSA online, so for those, standing in line for half an hour and having your passport stamped is just part of the excitement of travelling (for less experienced travelers). As a fraction of the total time and bother of intercontinental travel, it's almost negligible.
- GFischer 15y ago
  "Most people don't spend much time reading and fretting about the TSA online" That's only true for countries under the U.S. Visa Waiver, which are maybe 5% of the world's population (basically European Union and Australia). For the remaining 93% of us, we have to think long and hard and plan far ahead before visiting the U.S., and that means being aware of all the issues or risk deportation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Waiver_Program http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Waiver_Program And yes, I believe it does affect conversion significantly, but, coincidentally, we're the poorer 93% .
  - mseebach 15y ago
    Sure - but the visa madness predates the TSA/terror madness if I'm not mistaken?
    - GFischer 15y ago
      Yes, but it was much easier before September 11. Uruguay was in the Visa Waiver program back then. "Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the George W. Bush Administration decided to tighten entry requirements into the United States" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Waiver_Program http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Waiver_Program

reader5000 15y ago

I'm American and it turns me off from travelling. All air travel now carries the inherent risk of sexual molestation from a high school dropout. No thanks, Ill just stay home and enjoy twitter, apparently now along with 1000 US federal agents. America is getting more awesome every week.

GFischer 15y ago

I've actively avoided the U.S. even though I still want to go, because of those same issues. I even was a few meters from the U.S. (Niagara Falls) and avoided going because of all the visa complications and expenses plus the security measures (if it had been a given I'd be accepted I would have gone, but they don't like young unattached people saying they want to do "tourism", they expect we'll want to stay).

Vivtek 15y ago
The Canadian side of the Falls is by far the better, anyway.
madflo 15y ago
French national who visited Canada a few months ago here. I crossed the US/CA border with only a small backpack ( I left my luggage at the bus station ) and the US border agents after the Rainbow Bridge where fun and welcoming. It wasn't the case in SFO, after a 12 hours flight from Paris, the agent was OK but far from welcoming.
- GFischer 15y ago
  As a Uruguay national, I can't "just cross". I have to apply for a visa, and at the time there was a significant chance of it being denied - and forget about being refunded, and chances of it being accepted after re-applying drop dramatically. So it isn't worth it. I could probably be accepted for a visa now since I "settled down". And Canadian customs and inmigration were very friendly, I don't doubt the U.S. people might be the same (though they did fingerprint my father the time he was there, and he reported a few not so friendly times, and he is a frequent visitor).

kitsune_ 15y ago

I decided not to visit America this year with my gf because of some recent horror stories from my friends. Instead we'll visit South Korea for a month.

swombat 15y ago

I've actively avoided the US because of its immigration policy </anecdotal evidence>.

antidaily 15y ago

It's bad everywhere I've been. Europe has basically the same security measures. I was just through Schipul and Zurich.

epscylonb 15y ago

As I understand it, pre 9/11 air travel domestically in the USA was like hopping on a bus. Europe had terrorist incidents involving planes long before 9/11. As a consequence air travel (domestic or international) had greater security checks but nowhere near the level we see now in America. Here is the problem, no amount of security checks can guarantee that there will not be a terrorist incident on a plane. Even accounting for 9/11, other terrorist incidents on airplanes and plane crashes, the likelihood of you being killed in one is very small. But the politicians are faced with a decision, respect civil liberties and relax security to common sense levels or ratchet up security to ridiculous levels. If they do the first and a terrorist attack occurs they will get the blame. Ultimately it is a risk problem, and it is the voters that need to tell those in charge that they understand the risk and won't blame the government for "not protecting them" if something bad happens to them.

Nick_C 15y ago

> Has anyone done a study of how much this is damaging the tourism industry in the USA? It has been reported here in Australia that the US tourism bureau (or whatever they are called) is very concerned about it. Numbers are way down over the last several years. They will be running an ad campaign this year