Demolishing Bridges with Tourism
Washington, DC. May 11th, 2006 ---- The beauty of travel and tourism is that it can be the ideal vehicle for mending broken bridges, and showcasing a misunderstood culture, or country.
Then there is the United States. It parades the most hated politicians in the world at the WTTC Summit to showcase the American version of travel and tourism. In case the message of intolerance, threats and demands to bow down to the mighty Superpower is missed then there is the follow-up statements from the para-military to reinforce the message. In case you are confused I am talking about foreign citizens visiting, or spending their wealth in America, as opposed to elsewhere.
I would like to thank eTNewswire for bringing this article to our notice. It sums up what many thousand are saying:
"Sound-Off
In regards to the interview with Mr. Robert Mocny from the Department of Homeland Security I am always amazed at how our good cousins south of us just "don't get it." The impact of more stringent border crossing regulations will cause absolute havoc between the two biggest trading partners in the world.
Combined the two economies of Canada and the US are bigger than the EU. Our interdependence upon each other for business, cultural, sport and leisure activities is enormous. Canada's sound economy, with government deficits eliminated, the lowest unemployment rate among the G8, rated #2 in worker and corporate productivity, is on a roll. Add this to a high flying Canadian Dollar and Canadians, already tiring of the constant "alarm bell ringing" of the Americans are going to find alternate trading partners and place to do business and vacation with more rational peoples of this great planet. It is not only the US that use the American currency in determining the price of products to be sold. Mexican and Caribbean destinations will be come evermore cheaper to travel to with a surging Loonie. The world also wants to buy our commodity products such as oil and natural Gas (we have the second largest pools of crude in the world after the Saudis), soft wood lumber, gold, diamonds, beef and wheat and perhaps our huge reserves of water. Barriers to trade and to the movement of people to expedite this trade will see a shift in our focus to other countries.
It also might bode well for Mr. Robert Mocny in commenting about Canadians and how we will react to this increased security and documentation requirements if he did his homework about us first. The Canadian Parliamentary system does not include a hereditary "House of Lords" as he refers to it in his last statement about connecting with ordinary Canadians. It has a democratically elected House of Commons representing 34 million Canadians from across this great land. Currently in a minority government situation (the ruling Conservatives have less seats than the combined opposition parties and are always on guard against being defeated in a vote) this House and all Canadians will have ample time to discuss vigorously, not only this particular issue with the US, but others as well.
Canadians are polite (except on the hockey rink perhaps!) , generous ( our commitment to a UN Peace Keeping roll) and a liberal minded people who have built a country based on consensus, compromise and openness but recent polls are suggesting that we are becoming irritated and annoyed at the continuing actions of our "cousins." They should take note that they desperately need friends in a world so disillusioned with their recent actions. The old saying is that "you choose your friends but are stuck with your family," may seem to work with the US but remember families do have divorces.
Andrew P.W. Hopkyns
Edmonton, AB T6H 5X9 "
www.ama.ab.ca/travel
There is no National Tourist Board for the United States, no centralized marketing and PR entity, like virtually every other country. The States do their own thing, uncoordinated and piecemeal. Then the counties and cities do theirs too. The Federal Government does put out the worst politicians they can find, such as Chertoff, Rice, Hughes and the rest to threaten and undo all the work of the rest. For a Department that missed around 15,000,000 - 20,000,000 illegal aliens sweeping like herds of Bison across the Mexican border, it may be a good idea to keep them away from commenting on tourism and travel matters.
With ineffective, and suspect Trade Associations when it come to promoting the USA and a government hell bent on really upseting the world......Houston, we have a problem!