Hey, foreigners, it'll cost you $10 for the privilege of visiting the land of the Almighty Dollar.

[BurtWorm]

Welcome to America.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/mar/05/us-charge-tourists-to-enter


US to charge $10 fee for tourists

Barack Obama passes a new law to encourage foreign tourists to visit – by charging them for the privilege

The US yesterday passed a new law designed to boost dwindling numbers of foreign tourists – it will start charging them for the privilege of entering the country.

The bizarre move has prompted controversy on both sides of the Atlantic and warnings that it could backfire. Under the Travel Promotion Act signed into law by Barack Obama yesterday, a new national marketing body will be set up to promote US holidays abroad, a job that until now has only been done piecemeal by individual states. However the money to pay for the "multi-channel marketing campaign" is to be raised in part from visiting tourists, by charging them $10 for permission to enter. The rest of the funding will be raised in private sector contributions.

Currently visitors from Britain and the EU do not need a visa to visit the US on holiday, but must complete an ESTA (Electronic Scheme for Travel Authorisation) application online, giving detailed personal information. Filling in the form has been free, but it will now cost of $10 per person. The date for the introduction of the fee has not yet been announced, but officials estimate it will take between five months and a year to set up a system to collect the money.

Many within the tourism industry, in both the US and the UK, welcomed the move, saying it would help reverse the decline in visitors as a result of the global recession and increasing public concerns about the treatment of tourists by US immigration officials.

...

But others have warned the US levy might prompt tit-for-tat charges from more countries.

"We generally oppose tourism taxes, which this is – we're concerned about retaliatory action by other countries," said Steve Lott, a North America spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, which represents 230 airlines worldwide. "We don't want foreigners to have to jump through so many hoops that they just give up and don't bother coming ot the US. "

According to the US Travel Association, foreign visitor numbers have dropped every year since 2001, with 2.4 million fewer overseas visitors last year than in 2000.

...

[NightWatcher]

1. or 7 euros...

I think that they'll somehow manage, seeing as to how they are not having to pay insane amounts for healthcare insurance.

[denimgirly]

2. W/o raising peasant taxes the Gov. needs another source to funnel funds to Big Banks and Health Cos.

[Bozita]

3. Does this include Canadians crossing in their cars?

Suburban Detroit shopping centers currently see a lot of vehicles with Ontario plates. IMHO, this $10/person levy will kill a lot of that commerce.

[SidDithers]

13. I was wondering the same thing...

we don't make shopping trips, but do take mini-vacations to the US a couple of times per year.

And is that $10 per person? Makes a day trip to Darien Lake for a family of 4 a bit more expensive.

Sid

[2Design]

4. Forget this - not paying to visit usa - we have to be fingerprinted

and treated like criminals - why bother - there are a lot nicer and safer places to go for holidays

[canadianbeaver]

5. Yeah....that will work......

I would not be coming to the US...and if they start this crap at the borders...you can kiss my travelin ass good-bye...its time I think about visiting my own country..there is a lot I have not seen here.

[donco6]

6. Lots of other places charge a fee like this.

I don't know if it's for tourism or the airport or what - sometimes it's not clear - but I've paid $10, $20 to get out of a country. I don't see the big deal.

[petronius]

7. Isn't there a toll booth at the Mexico border? It's been a while since I walked across,

but I seem to remember having to plunk down a quarter or fifty cents or something... (unless that was just some enterprising dude with a uniform and a portable shed :) )

Edit - Spellcheck doesn't know when I mean booth instead of both. Stupid spellcheck...

[donco6]

12. Haven't walked in for ages.

And sometimes these taxes get levied on your tickets, so you don't see them.

[BurtWorm]

8. Are they places like Palau and Fiji and Suriname?

Or are we talking Japan, Belgium and Italy?

[mitchtv]

9. Well Costa Rica does

somewhere between those two groups you mentioned. It was $17.50 per sirport salida

[donco6]

11. Fiji, Belize and I think Australia.

More, too.

[MrCoffee]

10. I had to pay to leave China

I seem to recall it being somewhere around 60 USD for MrsCoffee and I to leave China back in 2001.

[Orsino]

14. We could set out ropes and bouncers, and only let in hot chicks.

We could make American tourism cool, if it looks exclusive enough. :eyes:

But this could muffle some of the reflexive hoots and grunts from the right. I guess we'll try anything to avoid progressive taxation, won't we?