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(We know some of you have already touched on this topic here in Media Only, and we thank you for your opinions. Today's request is for those who have not yet weighed in).
No need to apologize for the truth... I am a US citizen and I couldn't agree with you more. As a spa journalist who travels throughout the world on assignment, including your fair country - as a guest of the Australian Tourism Board, no less - I am well aware of how poorly our country and culture is reflected in those in charge of immigration. I am affronted by TSA on a regular basis despite my citizenship.
There are many reasons (and solutions) for the poor way our nation handles its foreign visitors, but two of the most likely culprits are ignorance and apathy. The vast majority of US citizens have never traveled abroad nor do they own passports (less than 20% of the US population possess passports), and as a result they lack any standard of comparison. That same population, along with many of us who are in possession of a passport and are aware of standards of comparison throughout the world, have long-ago unfortunately become apathetic to the the miasmal and indiscriminate treatment we receive from TSA, partly due to its continued prevalence as well as the lack of control we feel over influencing it.
As a US citizen, I extend my apologies to the foreigners among you who suffer poor treatment at the hands of our immigration and TSA personnel - and I'd bet that I am speaking on behalf of a large number of US citizens when I say this.
Please don't give up on us!
At the risk of sparking a flaming debate between those of us US-based and the rest of the world (I'm in Australia), I can't help but add my ten cents worth to this debate as an outsider looking in.
Firstly, we have a body in Australia - pan-state - promoting Australia as a tourist destination. States have their own organisations too, focusing more on attracting domestic tourists. They have their successes and failures, but overall they fulfill a valuable role. The concept is very sound and would potentially serve the US well.
Except for one major problem: As someone else alluded to on here, the US has an image problem relating to its border control and internal travel security. No amount of promotional investment from a tourism umbrella lobby is going to overcome that - cultural change is necessary and it has to start within the Department of Homeland Security.
Most people around the world recognise the US has just cause to be wary of terror attacks in this day and age and must be vigilant. But the endless stories - not just those that make it to print, rather the anecdotes from travellers returning home - are genuinely putting people off visiting the US.
I travel there at least annually and while I love the experiences to be had in some of the cities - and more remote areas - the whole in and out process - and the internal flights - I loathe.
While there has been some improvement in the last 12 months or so, flying into LAX or even SFO is an affronting, humiliating and unpleasant experience for foreigners. We're called "aliens" which in many cultures is considered rude and offensive. We're often made to queue for long periods of time while we see Americans walk straight to a counter and be processed without any delay (and I understand that and accept it as normal everywhere, including Australia; I just think the balance of counters needs to be more flexible at times).
I can't recall ever having been greeted in a pleasant, welcoming way by immigration staff. I'm always left with the impression they'd rather I hadn't arrived and bothered them. And I am convinced it is part of the training process to learn how not to smile.
We're finger-printed like criminals hauled into a police station - not just once for the record but on every visit.
Once through all the officialdom, we then have to run the gauntlet of panhandlers masquerading as airport volunteers who are apparently under no controls and in most westernised countries would be banned from terminals.
Internal travel is defined by long queues, relentless searches of anyone on one-way tickets (I usually travel on round the world tickets). Surly, rude, often aggressive TSA staff or contractors who become threatening if you so much as change your tone of voice at them (necessary when someone carelessly throws around my camera bag with $7500 of Nikon cameras inside!). Etc, etc.
Some people write these tales off as urban myths, but they're not.
The brutal, honest truth is that foreigners feel unwelcome visiting the US. I have had numerous people tell me they enjoyed seeing it and they're glad they went, but they wouldn't go back. Others who have been to Canada as well rave about how warm and friendly the people were.
And it seems everyone has a tale about searches, queues and rudeness by TSA staff.
I'm not writing this to rile Americans or criticise your country in any way. I understand fully why you have to have a tough stance these days. But at the same time I believe there are different ways of going about things to achieve the same end goal.
I am sure I'm going to get ridiculed by some for this post, but I think it is important that these issues are debated in an open forum for the benefit of America's tourist industry.
Maralyn D. Hill, President
IFWTWA
Maralyn@ifwtwa.org
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