Given the availability of cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms you might think that America hosts more tourists than it actually does. Obama announced a plan to increase tourism in the United States.
Saying that “America is open for business” Obama issued an executive order easing U.S. visa policies and expanding the number of countries in the Visa Waiver Program. On Thursday, 1/19, Obama told a crowd at Disney’s Magic Kingdom that “I want America to be the number one tourist destination in the world.”
Obama said that he has directed his administration to increase by 40 percent the visa processing capacity for citizens from Brazil and China, where securing a visa to visit the U.S. has taken up to a year in the past.
Obama observed that Brazil and China have growing middle classes with increasing disposable incomes. However burdensome U.S. visa policies have meant that their citizens find it difficult to visit the U.S. Brazil and China are the two countries with the biggest backlogs of pending U.S. visas.
Obama noted that his new tourism approach is part of his job creation plan. He feels that as more foreign tourists visit America more American jobs will be created.
Obama believes that there is no reason we cannot balance the need to maintain safe borders with the interests of growing foreign tourism.
Obama also plans to expand the Global Entry program that enables expedited security clearance at airports for pre-screened international travelers.
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