United States considering $10 "tourist fee" to pay for promoting tourism

[MissHoneychurch]

A proposal currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress may soon charge visitors to the United States a $10 entry fee.

The fee will go into a fund used to pay for promoting tourism. By now, I can imagine you are laughing about this (unless you don't live in the U.S.). The concept of having tourists pay for the PR activities of a country they are already visiting is completely insane.

The idea behind the bill is that promoting tourism should not cost the U.S. taxpayer, something I completely disagree with.

http://www.gadling.com/2009/09/05/united-states-considering-10-tourist-fee-to-pay-for-promoting/

:rant:

I am German, living in Germany and love to come to visit the U.S. But in the last years coming to the U.S. has been more and more annoying. First: Tell us where you will stay. Give us the address before you check in. Now: Get registered online before even going to the airport (at least 72 hours before the flight). Next: Pay to come to the U.S.

And then the almost harassment when you come to the immigration. What do you want here? How are you paying for you stay? When do you leave? Scanning the eyes. Scanning the fingerprints.

The U.S. is becoming a very unfriendly country. Hey, we are TOURISTS!!! We don't want to move to your country!!!

Honestly, when Americans come to Europe they don't get hassled that way. Would you like that treatment at the airport and immigration?

:rant:

[joeybee12]

1. It's true...even coming back from abroad as a US citizen I get hassled

more than I do when I enter the country i am visiting.

[MissHoneychurch]

3. How do they hassle you?

I am honestly asking.

[joeybee12]

24. Asked tons of questions, luggage is gone through....

...I just show my passport in other countries and go right through. Once when I came back they asked me where i worked, and silly me, I was honest and had been recently laid off...you would thought I killed someone!

[ccharles000]

2. ...

:hug:

[MissHoneychurch]

4. Thanks ccharles

:hug:

I honestly hope they don't going to charge.

[Oregone]

5. Poor, poor outlet mall on I-5

That may drastically reduce the Canucks visiting I bet (who can just as well shop locally in Vancouver and cough up the HST). First one that came to my mind since I passed by yesterday

[JBoy]

25. Yup. The border states ain't going to like this idea.

[rug]

6. If you think coming in is annoying, you should have lived here the past 8 years.

[MissHoneychurch]

8. No, thank you

I visited during those 8 years almost each year. I've done my duty :)

But paying for a promotion for a country I am visiting already (as the author of the article also writes) is just mind-boggling.

[woodsprite]

7. You know it's bad, when you're an Amer. citizen and your first

thought on reading this subject line was "Is that going to be a $10 toll from state to state?"

[MissHoneychurch]

9. LOL

Now there is an idea to re-fill the treasury :rofl:

[skipos]

10. "when Americans come to Europe they don't get hassled that way"

It has been a long time since I have been to Europe but

"First: Tell us where you will stay."
I have had to do this in most countries I have been to.

"Give us the address before you check in."
I have had to do this in most countries I have been to.

"Get registered online before even going to the airport (at least 72 hours before the flight)."
While airports in the US are annoying, I have had just as many ridiculous experiences in other countries. I think it was Brazil where I couldn't buy airplane tickets on the weekend online because their website only works during business hours. Flights have been canceled on me more outside of the US than in it.

"Next: Pay to come to the U.S."
I think I have had to pay to get into every country I have ever been to.

"And then the almost harassment when you come to the immigration. What do you want here? How are you paying for you stay? When do you leave? Scanning the eyes. Scanning the fingerprints."
Again, I have dealt with this almost everywhere.

Yes, US borders can be ridiculous, but try going to Tibet sometime if you want to see how bad it can get.

[MissHoneychurch]

11. When

do you have to pay to come to Europe? And from what I understand that fee is most likely to put on Europeans coming to the U.S.

I admit, I don't know much about countries which aren't European or US-American.

[skipos]

12. I found this online re: costs of visiting Germany (though many countries are exempt)

What is the cost of a visa?
The fee for a so-called national visa (person plans to stay within Germany for more than three months, e.g. for a course of study) is 60 euro.

Applicants wishing to stay in Germany for a period of more than 90 days but needing to travel to another Schengen country within the first three months of their stay (e.g. scientists) may obtain a so-called national "hybrid visa". The fee for a hybrid visa is 60 euro.

The fee for a Schengen visa (valid for travel to 24 Schengen countries, stay of up to 90 days) is 60 euro.

[MissHoneychurch]

16. But only if you need a visa

after the three months. OK, in the U.S. it is 6 months without visa. After that:

Visa Application Fee

Each visa applicant must pay a visa application fee using the on-line system through the Roskos & Meier payment system.
The current fee is 91.70 Euro per person, regardless of age. Families and other groups of applicants may make a single payment, but each individual will be issued his/her own payment confirmation.

http://www.usvisa-germany.com/germany/index.jsp?locale=de_DE



I am only complaining about paying to visit the U.S. without visa. When you come to Germany or Europe for a visit you don't need to pay.

[treestar]

28. Went to the UK and France

recently. I was asked nothing, nada, they just stamped me in.

Went to France from the UK and no questions whatsoever, looked as passport briefly in the Waterloo Train Station.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

13. Its embarassing........

that we have to charge a fee to tourists to promote tourism. It kinda reveals our current status in the world, don't you think?

When I visited your country 15+ years ago, I had no hassle. The porter on the train checked my passport and Eurail pass, welcomed me to Germany and wished me a safe visit. The only hassle I ever received on that trip was when I returned to the UK and I mistakenly left my return flight ticket in my checked luggage, but that was soon sorted out and I was on my way.

Hope this doesn't discourage you from coming back.

[MissHoneychurch]

18. Oh, I will come back

nothing holding me from not coming :) But it gives a bad taste in the mouth.

And once the U.S. starts this you can expect the EU to charge US-Americans to enter Europe. And so it goes on and on and on. The flights might get cheaper but the extra charges will make it more expensive and less enjoyable.

[ddeclue]

14. Wow! Sounds like a great idea! I mean whoever has heard of "America" before?

I'm SURE that a lack of "advertising" is where the problem lies..

:eyes:

:sarcasm:

How about we treat foreign visitors with more respect?

How about we stop mugging and killing them while they visit?

How about we stop nickle and diming them to death with ridiculous fees?

How about some signs in languages other than English at the tourist traps and at the airports?

Doug D.
Orlando, FL
(yes I live in tourist central - and I've lived overseas about 8 years of my life so I've seen it from both sides.)

[Romulox]

15. My wife and I were randomly frisked by two male agents with machine guns in Heathrow airport

Some 10 years ago. No news services covered the event.

Perhaps Europeans simply complain more? :shrug:

"Honestly, when Americans come to Europe they don't get hassled that way."

Wrong. :hi:

[MissHoneychurch]

22. Is that happening every time you travel?

I agree that was unacceptable. Still, you don't get that treatment each time you travel. And every European coming to the U.S. has to endure what I wrote. Is it worse than your experience? Definitely not. Still it takes a lot of time and nerves.

[Romulox]

33. What you describe is routine for every international traveler.

I was asked my itinerary in every country in Europe I visited--how long I intended to stay, the purpose of my visit, etc. There were also men with machine guns in the Amsterdam train station, though I was not directly questioned by them.

And you are complaining about a $10 tourist fee? :shrug:

[Barack_America]

17. What about people coming to the US on business?

This is a really stupid idea.

[MissHoneychurch]

21. I have no idea

Maybe an extra charge for allowing them to make business with Americans

:sarcasm:

[harkadog]

19. Most countries charge fees to visitors.

I have been to over 40 countries and almost all of them either charge "exit" fees (which most people don't know about because they are automatically priced into your plane ticket) or they charge visa fees (some have extra charges depending on what country you are from).

[MissHoneychurch]

20. This is not about Visa fees

this is about the U.S. charging tourists for advertising a country they already are visiting.

[harkadog]

23. It is about money.

Who cares what pot it comes out of and what pot it goes into? Other countries charges visitors too (as I said "exit" fees not just visa fees) and they use money to advertise themselves.

[Pangolin2]

27. Harkadog is right, it's just a tax/fee/charge by another name that gets used for

whatever altruistic or nefarious purposes the collectors decide. The stupid part is making it so public...most countries just tack it onto something that sounds more innocuous like 'airport tax' or whatever...

[treestar]

29. What countries?

I've been to the UK, France and Canada. No fees.

[harkadog]

30. All the middle eastern countries

Most in Asia and those in Africa and South America I have been to. Again, "exit" fees or "airport" fees are usually priced into your plane ticket so you may not be aware of them. If you are leaving by land you have to pay the fee and get a stamp before they will clear you thru the border.

[JBoy]

26. They'll need the fund - to lure tourists to replace those turned off by paying the $10 fee.

With any luck, they'd break even.

[harkadog]

31. If you have enough money to get to the U.S. you aren't going to worry about 10$

Plane tickets to cross the oceans cost a few hundred at the least. I don't think an extra 10$ is going to chase anyone away that wanted to come here.

[DLnyc]

32. I routinely travel to Canada and back.

Going into Canada: "Where do you live? What is the purpose of your visit? How long will you be staying? Welcome to Canada." There is absolutely no fee, ever, for visiting Canada.

Coming back into the U.S. of A.: Bus waits a long time in the parking lot. Then military type comes on the bus, starts barking orders in colloquial English with no attempt to accommodate persons with other native languages, or even persons who didn't spend their entire lives either in the military or in prison. Then told to leave bags unattended outside and herded into a giant new facility laced with wires and cameras. Wait in line a long time watching beefy arrogant white dudes viciously insult anyone of a different hue, saying over and over "Don't you understand English?" Finally get grilled and snarled at and allowed to return to my (native) land, after picking up my (obviously searched) luggage.

Rinse and repeat, every six months or so.

The two experiences are as different as night and day.



(Thank god, though, they've at least finally removed the pictures of Doofus and Darth.)

[Critters2]

34. They scan your eyes?! Wow. I had no idea.

You're right. Not only is that overkill. It's unfriendly. I can understand how you feel.

One more reason to be embarrassed. sigh.