Tourism officials urge changes to lure more visitors to U.S.
By Richard N. Velotta, Las Vegas Sun
Agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration will be ordered to put on their happy faces as part of a bid to make the United States a friendlier place to visit.
Sen. Harry Reid and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar were in Las Vegas for a Wednesday morning tourism roundtable meeting with industry leaders to explain some of the initiatives of Brand USA and to get suggestions on how the nation could do a better job of welcoming foreign tourists to the country.
Reid was one of the key proponents of the Travel Promotion Act that led to the formation of Brand USA, a corporation formed from a public-private partnership that will market the United States abroad.
Stephen Cloobeck, chairman of Brand USA and CEO of Las Vegas-based Diamond Resorts International, also attended the roundtable and said some of the advertising messages would be unveiled April 22 during the U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow in Los Angeles.
About 40 industry and political leaders were invited to the roundtable, which was closed to the public.
We Americans live by a double standard. When we travel abroad we have an expectation that those in other countries speak English to accommodate us, yet when visitors from other countries come to America we expect them to be able to speak English or go home! The term “Ugly Americans” isn’t just some fairy tale. Time for us to take our blinders off and realize that there is a great big world out there that will pass us by if we don’t start paying attention to it.
Step 1: Just look ’em in the eye and say “Hi!” vs honk because they are not going fast enough (as they try to experience the beauty and not hit anything).
2. Be a docent! When you see that lost or perplexed look – offer local insight and help them find the trail, transit or trash can.
3. Lead by example! Take the bus, bike, hike, carpool, skateboard – demonstrate how to move and best experience the water, land, wildlife and air – we all share!
2. Be a docent! When you see that lost or perplexed look – offer local insight and help them find the trail, transit or trash can.
Jacquie, Good advice! Especially like number 2. Had a person do that for me in London once, even going so far as to walk us two blocks in the opposite direction to help us on our way. Made a huge impression on me!
I’ve sit talked a lot with other people of earth,(across the pond)you have to be kidding not to relize what we’ve done to the rest of the worl.
It’s ridiculous to see how wrong I was. I always thought America’s arrogance and ignorance was just a joke. But here I am after reading a peaceful of ignorant arrogant comments by TAHOE Americans. You people really need to stop with this whole” you owe us” bull*****. You’ve done a lot, sure. But you also owe a lot more than imaginable. Top of the contribution list? Good for you, contribute that money to the IMS. 17 trillion sounds like that’d put you high on the contribute list. Not to mention how backstabbing and secretive the USA is, many of your” victorious” moments should actually be” disgraced” moments. Great peacekeeping? Then you’ll realize how badly managed peacekeepers were, none the less acted. Be an ignorant arrogant American all you want.
forgot that you are ignorant… time to learn about other cultures other than yours, the language you speak is English not American, Canada is not your hat and not all Canadians speak French or are covered in snow, not all Mexicans are poor border jumpers, I could go on and on but this was a funny list.
At least I have my freedom of speech (which is slowly being deprived) though yes, but isn’t everyone like that? Proud of their country, and like the u.s.a, act because of its own interest? I don’t hate America, I hate the ignorant, arrogant people but those are everywhere. America just has more of them.
You personally have done *****all for the world, don’t take pride in things other people did. We are a sad, sad person. You start swearing like a child when somebody offends your country, that’s why people hate America, because of people like you. Ignorant nationalists who act on knee jerk reactions of “patriotism”. To quote George Carlin, national pride is bull*****. Pride should be reserved for something you achieved on your own, not by accident of birth. You don’t even know where the guy is from and you already say the most arrogant things, like America saved his country and they owe you. That very attitude is why people hate America and its inhabitants. You and everyone like you are to blame for your country’s bad reputation. I think it’s reasonable to say I’m speaking for a large portion of the rest of the world, when I say, ***** you and everybody like you.
Take it for what it is,but we aren’t good at being host other than stealing their natural resoures,finding a reason to invade.
Tourism goes to Europe because it’s just older, better, with Quilty you can’t find in the States.