[Infowarrior] - U.S. looks to Disney for welcome for visitors

[Richard Forno]

> With security much tightened since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the visa
> and entry processes are so unpopular that the country was ranked as the
> world's most unfriendly to visitors in a survey last month of travelers from
> 16 nations.

I find this deeply-embarrassing.........rf



U.S. looks to Disney for welcome for visitors
Wed Dec 6, 2006 12:17 PM ET
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=inDepthNews&storyid=2006
-12-06T171558Z_01_N05421059_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-AIRPORTS-FRIENDLY.xml

By Bernd Debusmann, Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Faced with a decline in the number of overseas
visitors and unpopular entry requirements, the U.S. government is turning to
the Walt Disney Co. and other theme park operators to brighten the country's
battered image.

With security much tightened since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the
visa and entry processes are so unpopular that the country was ranked as the
world's most unfriendly to visitors in a survey last month of travelers from
16 nations.

Last January, the government promised to work with the private sector to
create a more welcoming environment without compromising security.

But the "Rice-Chertoff Joint Vision" announced by Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and then Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has
yet to become reality.

So far, applying for American visas still involves standing for hours in
long lines at fortress-like embassies. Stern immigration officials at
American airports often inspire fear, according to the survey.

Enter the U.S. travel industry, which has watched with concern the parallel
trends of rising anti-American feeling around the world and declining
visitor numbers. Since September 11, 2001, industry leaders say, the
government has tended to see foreign visitors as potential threats, and the
screening process reflects that view.

"We have missed an opportunity to make people feel welcome," said Jay
Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "The whole process must
be friendlier and more efficient. We must invest in creating a first
impression of hospitality and friendliness at our borders."