New tax to travel to U.S. coming
 

Since 9/11, the U.S. has made travel into the U.S.for foreign visitors as miserable as possible. You really cannot imagine - unless you have been thru it - the expense, time & hassle of getting a visa for many people. Many have to travel hundreds of miles for an appointment to be interviewed, wait in line for hours, pay many high fees & be hassled & often insulted by border personnel. Now, incredibly, they plan to institute a new fee on travellers to the U.S. to promote U.S. tourism !!! If anything will decrease tourism, it is another extra charge and tax. Call it anything you want, it is just one more tax, one more opportunity to grab revenue, but it certainly will be counter-productive. I think it will nearly stop much cross-border shopping between Canada and the U.S. (which is a big business for the U.S.).

<b>they plan to institute a new fee on travellers to the U.S. to promote U.S. tourism !!! If anything will decrease tourism</b>

Most US citizens would agree with you on this. I certainly do.

Yes, this is a terrible idea. It is not fun hassling with getting visas for any country. This makes US travel even less appealing.

The U.S. is certainly not the only country with tourist entrance requirements including visas and fees.

How much is the new fee?

A (much) better way to bolster tourism and tourism $$$'s would be to offer a discount -- half price visas for all of 2011, for example.

The massive $14 fee applies only to visitors entering the US under the Visa Waiver Program. They pay the fee by credit card upon filing the ESTA form.

It does not apply to B1/B2 visitor/business visas.

As people entering under the VWP do not go for interviews to get a visa, OP's second sentence is untrue.

I don't see many people getting harrassed or insulted by immigration agents.

Many countries charge entry or exit fees - and many larger than the paltry sum involved. I can't imagine anyone who can pay thousands for air fare and hotels will be stopped by a tax of a few $.

As for soaking travelers - US citizens going to europe pay a value added (sales) tax of from 15 to 20% on almost everything they consume or buy in europe. Should we require that US citizens not pay that tax? (Sales tax in the US varies by state and even by city but is always MUCH less than that and is zero some places. Perhaps travelers would like their $14 entry fee back but to have 20% sales tax added to everything they buy/consume instead.)

The cost of travel is the cost. Don;t see the big deal over a few $

I am going to Turkey next month and they have a $20 entry fee, that must be exact, like I am on a friggin bus.

Or what about that oppressive VAT tax that is attached to many things.

How much was your airfare?

Have you ever travelled through customs at Heathrow or CDG, they would not allow that behavior at Abu Ghraib

Agree with all the others that say, IT AIN'T ONLY THE US THAT CHARGES A FEE TO GET IN.

I don't like this fee and think it is a horrible idea. I also thought it was crummy while I was in Italy to be charged full ticket prices for my children at museums because they aren't EU citizens. I've never been to a museum, attraction, etc. in the U.S. that charges a different price based on nationality.

There was a nice surprise at one ticket window, though, when a lovely, older woman refused to charge us for our two children. I did attempt to pay the full price but she shook her head and waved us inside.

For $14, which only applies to people on the VWP, I can't get too excited. We aren't the only ones who charge an entrance or exit tax. Some countries charge it outright - have to pay upon arrival or departure - and some add it as an "airport tax" or something.

So, we're in agreement. You guys (non-US) now hate the US Congress, just like us, and we hate your governments, just like you. And some folks throught that governments couldn't bring people together.

<<Many countries charge entry or exit fees >>

We encountered this in South American, in both Argentina and Chile. The entrance fees are both in excess of $100 (I can't recall the exact amount), however, as I understand it these were established when the US raised entrance fees for both countries. I can't see that charging additional fees to enter the US will encourage tourism.

US Passport fees are escalating again too. Even adding additional pages which had been free now has a hefty charge.

Is someone in Washington against world travel?

If $14 stops you (and is applicable only for certain visas), the US Treasury probably will get by without you.