New travel policies turn away tourists and revenue from New York

January 11, 2:17 PMNY Budget Travel ExaminerSusan Finch

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The Foreign Office has sent out a warning to travelers headed for the US. In accordance with a new online entry system, tourists could be turned away at US airports and ports.

Starting January 12th, 2009, all visitors from countries that don't require visas for travel will be required to fill out an electronic form at least 72 hours before their travel date. Those who fail to do so or have not heard of the new policy may be turned away, detained, or sent back. The new online registration will replaced the green I-94 forms that visitors fill out for short term visits to the US. These are the same cards visitors give to customs upon arrival.

For New York and the rest of the US, this could mean a loss in valuable tourist dollars. The US receives about 60 million tourists a year, and 50 million of those travel without the need of a visa. Considering the economy has left just about every industry vulnerable, it doesn't seem like the best time to lose any additional revenue, especially from visitors with a stronger currency than the US dollar.

The new electronic applications, called ESTA, or Electronic System for Travel Authorization, must be approved in advance by the US Department of Homeland Security. Once approved, tourists can use it for all visits to the US for up to two-years. So far, it hasn't seemed to be a bureaucratic nightmare of paperwork just yet. According to the US Embassy in London, 99.6% are approved in less than 5 seconds. But it still poses some issues of keeping out tourists and potential revenue.

Michael Restovich of the US Department of Homeland Security, told the BBC "We want to keep the bad people out. We don't want to restrict commerce, we don't want to restrict tourism. We want to make sure the people getting on that aircraft or that sea vessel are clear to come to the United States and are risk-free."

Regardless of the added benefit of protection it might serve, The Foreign Office is concerned that people who haven't heard of the new rule will be turned away and forced to leave. However, ABTA travel association feels it would actually help speed up the immigration process. It would keep those on government watch lists from ever boarding planes before being noticed, detained, and sent back home.

Unfortunately, scams have already popped up asking for personal information and a fee. ESTA is free, but many travelers trying to follow the rules are getting caught in a tangle, registering at the wrong sites, and ultimately being prevented from entry to the US regardless of their efforts. The new rules might also keep spontaneous vacationers and business travelers from visiting the US given the time constraints for registration. This could mean an additional loss of revenue for airlines offering last minute bookings.

Foreign tourism dollars in New York seemed to be one of the last refuges for a bad economy infecting our city. But with the new ESTA rules, it's likely tourists will be offended, confused, or just feel a trip to the US just isn't worth their time.

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