The Senate Commerce Committee has approved a bill to establish a nonprofit public-private corporation to promote the United States as a tourist destination and clear up misconceptions about U.S. travel policies. After September 11th US tourism took a sharp dive while the rest of the major countries continued to have increasing tourism rate. Experts noted that US is the only global destination without an ongoing program to promote itself. Industry experts also stressed that increased advertising about the wonders the US must be accompanied by changes in the visa and entry systems because their complexity keep people away. Getting through the customs barriers is a problem the bill is also trying to remedy. This steps could increase overseas travel to this country by nearly 1.6 million visitors a year, and yield $8 billion in new visitor spending.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070705/ap_on_go_co/promoting_tourism
I think this bill would be a fairly beneficial addition. It's not only about the money; the clauses under this bill would lead to bettering people's view of the US. However, I'm sure many people would be worried over the threat of terrorism and how much easier it might be for those kinds of people to get into the US if the visa system is made simpler.
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The bill would indirectly open more possibilities of terrorist attacks in the United States. Take the recent bombings in London into account. I'm not saying that tourism is a bad thing, but the outcomes could be disasterous. Plus, it would tighten security and increase fear in the U.S. The burden at airports is already tough as it is.
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