http://rickseaney.com/2008/03/14/tourists-flock-to-us-but-not-enough-whats-keeping-the-rest-away/ Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:46:53 GMT http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 http://rickseaney.com/2008/03/14/tourists-flock-to-us-but-not-enough-whats-keeping-the-rest-away/#comment-8659 A.K. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:32:54 +0000 http://rickseaney.com/2008/03/14/tourists-flock-to-us-but-not-enough-whats-keeping-the-rest-away/#comment-8659 Sheer hassle, pure and simple. Have you ever talked to a foreigner trying to get into the U.S.? Citizens of many countries need a visa, so they have to plan an additional 2-3 months ahead of time. Normally, there's a $100 or so application fee (non-refundable). Then, assuming visa is granted, you have to deal with the immigration procedure, which for a lot of people means getting finger-printed (again, as they normally take them for the visa app). Then there's all the fun of the shoe carnival, The War on Liquids(TM), poor service on domestic airlines, etc. By the time a person gets here, they'll wish they just hopped a RyanAir flight to the Riviera... Sheer hassle, pure and simple. Have you ever talked to a foreigner trying to get into the U.S.? Citizens of many countries need a visa, so they have to plan an additional 2-3 months ahead of time. Normally, there’s a $100 or so application fee (non-refundable). Then, assuming visa is granted, you have to deal with the immigration procedure, which for a lot of people means getting finger-printed (again, as they normally take them for the visa app). Then there’s all the fun of the shoe carnival, The War on Liquids(TM), poor service on domestic airlines, etc. By the time a person gets here, they’ll wish they just hopped a RyanAir flight to the Riviera…

]]> http://rickseaney.com/2008/03/14/tourists-flock-to-us-but-not-enough-whats-keeping-the-rest-away/#comment-8535 Chris Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:59:49 +0000 http://rickseaney.com/2008/03/14/tourists-flock-to-us-but-not-enough-whats-keeping-the-rest-away/#comment-8535 The shabby treatment from the US embassies / consulates and upon arrival combined with our good friend "W" who has made the rest of the world hate us. It's a miracle we even got 57M! The shabby treatment from the US embassies / consulates and upon arrival combined with our good friend “W” who has made the rest of the world hate us. It’s a miracle we even got 57M!

]]> http://rickseaney.com/2008/03/14/tourists-flock-to-us-but-not-enough-whats-keeping-the-rest-away/#comment-8477 Andy Sat, 15 Mar 2008 02:05:30 +0000 http://rickseaney.com/2008/03/14/tourists-flock-to-us-but-not-enough-whats-keeping-the-rest-away/#comment-8477 I suppose our fingerprinting at the border isn't particularly enticing... Hasn't the TIA made any surveys? I suppose our fingerprinting at the border isn’t particularly enticing… Hasn’t the TIA made any surveys?

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