News for the Hospitality Executive |
WASHINGTON,
March 20, 2013-- Overseas travelers are avoiding the United
States due to "embarrassingly" lengthy and inefficient Customs and
entry procedures at the nation's gateway airports according to a new
survey released today by Consensus Research and the U.S. Travel
Association. By experience and word-of-mouth, at least 100 million
overseas travelers are receiving the message to avoid travel to the
United States – costing the economy at least $95 billion in total
output and 518,900 jobs across the economy.
"Too many visitors to our country – one in three – report that they have experienced a Customs process that they believe is inconsistent, confusing or embarrassing," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "As the United States spends millions to recapture the world's interest and inspire international travelers to visit, we are failing to address a galling entry experience that is driving 43 percent of our guests to tell others to avoid travel to our country." Prior to sequestration budget cuts, prominent gateway airports reported two-to-three hour waits to clear Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has stated publicly that those waits are likely to grow as CBP eliminates overtime and furloughs agents. The survey, conducted by Consensus Research Group, of overseas travelers who have visited or considered visiting the United States in the last five years found that:
"CBP officers are hardworking public servants who deserve the resources necessary to process millions of overseas travelers," said Dow. "We are calling on Congress and the Obama Administration to immediately provide the resources necessary to efficiently process our nation's guests." Consensus Research Group conducted the multi-country online survey among a total sample of 1,200 overseas travelers. Respondents in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, China and Brazil were qualified on the basis of having traveled outside their countries during the past five years. Two hundred interviews were completed in each country, with samples weighted proportionate to each country's volume of visitors to the United States during the period January through October of 2012. The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $1.9 trillion in economic output and supports 14.4 million jobs. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. Visit www.ustravel.org. Follow us on Twitter @ustravel |
Contact: Mallory Ward, APCO (202) 446.1244 [email protected] Cathy Keefe U.S. Travel (202) 408-2183 [email protected] |