U.S. travel industry launches plan to reverse tourism decline

I wish I could disagree with the comments, but I can't. I truly fell sorry for foreigners with low or no English.

Im guessing many of the border and customs agents are exmilitary.

Never going to visit the USA again. Ridiculous "security" and unsafe.

Getting into and out of the US is not unlike getting into and out of a prison (as a visitor). I’m aware this is for “security” of the “homeland,” but being yelled at, being made to take off belts, shoes, and stand in front of the X-ray like machine that can look inside pockets, showing documentation (passport plus one gov’t issued photo ID) at every step of the process was a giant pain.

And mostly a show. Real terrorists could probably enter the country easily and find ample weaponry once inside. As the FBI has demonstrated time and again when they slip guns through “security” to test its efficiency.

"People misinterpreted a lot of our security protocols to be an unwelcoming message," said one worried insider.

Hate to break the bad news to him, but this Canadian, who lives very close to the border and used to like visiting the States, didn't 'misinterpret' anything. Like other commenters here, I've found border and customs people less than friendly, and i wholeheartedly agree with the expressed sentiments of sf2k and Peter14.

Make American Tourism Great Again.......get rid of President Bone-Spurs.

ClippetyClopToday  10:59 am JST

I went to the US on business about three years ago, and I have to say it was a particularly unfriendly & painful process getting out of the airport. 

I have never been to a country with a customs process that is as inefficient, unfriendly, and ineffective as the US's. Every time the lines are long, the staff are rude, and the security theater is disorganized and disinterested.

Come and relax on an Aussie beach, enjoy a cocktail and some of the best food in the world.

While our Customs people follow strict laws they do so in a pleasant and welcoming manner.

Or go to Japan which I found to be friendly with much to see and do. Lots of places other than the US to visit.

Come to Canada instead. Let's have a laugh

I have no problem with a stringent and thorough entry process, but lordy they were the rudest customs people I’ve ever met

One of the worst things I saw was in Dallas Fort Worth airport with an airport official shouting sentences at machine-gun speed at my Japanese coworker who had limited English skills. I helped my coworker out and pissed the official off by ‘translating’ what he roared into understandable English ( I was struggling to catch what he was saying ).

It’s not just the US. I’ve seen as bad or worse in other countries. As with the US, I love the people, but I’ve come across shocking manners from airport staff in Vietnam and China to name two.

Agreed, American customs/immigration staff are horrible, they all seem to have God-complexes and just love to use/abuse their authority. They could also get rid of those ESTAs that they make most tourists pay just to get into the country, for a start.

A country that is officially unfriendly to foreigners is going to suffer a slump in tourism.

Apparently the opinion of America has dropped world-wide in the past year (for some weird reason). Canada in particular. I would imagine that the US used to get a lot of tourists from Canada. Their tourist industry must cringe every time Trump makes another comment about the world.

I went to the US on business about three years ago, and I have to say it was a particularly unfriendly & painful process getting out of the airport. Lots of bitter, unsmiling, shouty people running the show. I have no problem with a stringent and thorough entry process, but lordy they were the rudest customs people I’ve ever met. Such a shame, the country was very pleasant.

That's my experience when I go to the US as well. I love the people and the country once I get passed the border. But the airport security/staff/immigration in the US are particularly abrasive.

I went to the US on business about three years ago, and I have to say it was a particularly unfriendly & painful process getting out of the airport. Lots of bitter, unsmiling, shouty people running the show. I have no problem with a stringent and thorough entry process, but lordy they were the rudest customs people I’ve ever met. Such a shame, the country was very pleasant.

A country that is officially unfriendly to foreigners is going to suffer a slump in tourism.