Thread: Tourism drastically down in the USA!

Worldwide travel, 2003-2013; the total number of world travellers grows by 66 million (35%)


total visitor visas to the USA, 2003: 26,440,000
total visitor visas to the USA, 2013: 25,690,000 (average time for US STATE DEPT to process a fucking tourist visa: 65 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

if we assume the US Tourism numbers also grow at roughly the worldwide average of 36% during those 10 years, the USA should have had 35,000,000 visitors in 2013. They are 10 MILLION SHORT!

in the words of a NYC businessman: "........Does the State Department think foreign tourists are stupid? There are a lot of reasons not to come here, besides the visa issue.Air travel in the US has become so hostile toward passengers that it’s a wonder anyone flies anymore.They are hit with deceptive and predatory pricing by airlines, seat assignment fees, change fees, baggage fees and other nickel and dime tactics.Add to that abusive screening by belligerent TSA agents, who if they don’t strip search the passenger or steal their laptop, treat passengers with utter contempt and defy anyone to object.The stories of TSA molesting children, strip searching elderly women, punching Congressmen, stealing cash and laptops and smuggling drugs get reported in other countries too.Things don’t get any better on board with crowded flights, increasingly frequent late departures and arrivals and surly flight attendants who treat passengers like they are second class citizens intruding into their personal space. There have been repeated incidents of flight attendants harassing passengers and having them thrown off a flight for trivial reasons.Ask yourself, if you were considering visiting the US and read the stories about TSA and our airline industry, would you want to bring your family here? Me neither."

after 7 years of experiencing hotels, for example, in South Korea with lavish free breakfast buffets, in Malaysia, India, and Turkey, Ireland----not to mention Singapore, IF I THINK ABOUT HOW SHITTY AMERICAN HOTELS ARE, RUDE COUNTER PEOPLE, NO BREAKFASTS, OLD STINKY ROOMS, CRAPPY CURTAINS, CREAKY BEDS, OVER-PRICED, ETC. ...............the more time that goes by that Im outta there, the less i want to go back into that fucking heartless, cutthroat Machine.

Forgot to mention cops can remove amounts of cash from you if you are carrying it through certain states, you have to prove where you got it from to get it back.This is how they finance their blue gang there now, with less government funds they have found a way to be more self financed.
Oh plus the beating you'd get while arguing your case if pulled over and searched while traveling to through state.

its a goddamned shame. Little by little, since leaving in 2007, I HAVE LOST ALL GODDAM INTEREST TO RETURN.

It's not that bad, Us is a lovely place and the flights service and fees depends where u book it from, if it's included or not, And with the rooms you don't like and the people you met in the states, i have no idea where you stayed at and the people i actually find really nice! There is one big problem with USA though, which is a big problem for the tourist, There is really no Metro system, there is but they are so shitty and bad! which is a big issue for tourism, you need a car basically. which is easy to rent. But if you going for a vacation for approx 2 week and you're stuck in traffic two hours everyday there's not much sightseeing. But once you get used to the traffic and people who's never in a hurry i think it's a really good over there!

As a country America has some amazing nature, architecture, culture, and people. On that basis it is a place I should automatically want to visit and experience, but the OP stated pretty much the reasons why I don't think I would go there.

I'm going back to California on the 20th of January and i can't wait til i open a bud light premium! Lets not forget 'bout the food its amazing! even more exiled that this is the first time i can drink legally in the states! Vegas is something that will happened fsure, see if i be able to ask Floyd up for a dance. And the prices is insanely cheap and huge shopping centers/outlets. Even though the water haven't been that great lately.

You coming back here then? How long you going for? I loved California could live there easily. Hows these lightning storms tonight! We just got back from snorkeling in the rock pools at Sorrento, everyone left as we arrived, lighting and swimming is very good for your adrenaline level.

Don't you guys get it, we make it like that because we don't want you here.

Yeah going there for a few weeks, you know because my visa runs out then i be right back, lighting was bad, it was today as well, went tanning for a few hours then all of the sudden it started pissing down up here! All changed in a few minutes, soaking wet when we got back tho! Yah snorkling with lighting sounds like good fun!

Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

Worldwide travel, 2003-2013; the total number of world travellers grows by 66 million (35%)


total visitor visas to the USA, 2003: 26,440,000
total visitor visas to the USA, 2013: 25,690,000 (average time for US STATE DEPT to process a fucking tourist visa: 65 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

if we assume the US Tourism numbers also grow at roughly the worldwide average of 36% during those 10 years, the USA should have had 35,000,000 visitors in 2013. They are 10 MILLION SHORT!

in the words of a NYC businessman: "........Does the State Department think foreign tourists are stupid? There are a lot of reasons not to come here, besides the visa issue.Air travel in the US has become so hostile toward passengers that it’s a wonder anyone flies anymore.They are hit with deceptive and predatory pricing by airlines, seat assignment fees, change fees, baggage fees and other nickel and dime tactics.Add to that abusive screening by belligerent TSA agents, who if they don’t strip search the passenger or steal their laptop, treat passengers with utter contempt and defy anyone to object.The stories of TSA molesting children, strip searching elderly women, punching Congressmen, stealing cash and laptops and smuggling drugs get reported in other countries too.Things don’t get any better on board with crowded flights, increasingly frequent late departures and arrivals and surly flight attendants who treat passengers like they are second class citizens intruding into their personal space. There have been repeated incidents of flight attendants harassing passengers and having them thrown off a flight for trivial reasons.Ask yourself, if you were considering visiting the US and read the stories about TSA and our airline industry, would you want to bring your family here? Me neither."

Just over 10 years I went to the US to Florida, all in all 2 weeks 5 grand , villa , flights, car hire, park
tickets, spends,! a fact er now is a down turn in jobs higher energy bill, a lot less cash to spend on holidays, this was a major holiday a lot of money I enjoyed it.
Now I could not afford to go, and that would be just the 2 of us spare cash for the nice things, trouble
is no spare cash I was better off 10 years ago.

Most hotels in Dublin, Ireland give a free hot & cold buffet breakfast of the highest quality foods: handmade Irish sausages, Galway ham, black & white puddings, eggs, homemade bread, jams, cold cuts, cereals, beans, home fries, bacon, coffee, tea, juices, milk, etc.... some hotels there will charge 10 euros, but the unlimited food and highest quality victuals are well, well well-worth the 10 euros.

Same goes for hotels in Istanbul & Ankara, Turkey, Munich, Germany or Seoul, South Korea, or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, or New Delhi, India. AWESOME SERVICE AND DELICIOUS FREE BREAKFAST BUFFET

Now compare that to shitty-ass American hotels: bed bugs, cockroaches, overpriced, no brekfast or IF YOU ARE FUCKING LUCKY A BITCH WILL THROW YOU A DONUT AND A CUP OF COFFEE---WOW!! I SHOULD BE SO FUCKING THANKFUL FOR THAT!!!
@Gandalf
Never any "Thank you so much for staying with us!" and a smile, etc. Around the world, in my experience, and my experience is pretty fucking extensive--- 24 COUNTRIES SPANNING SOUTH AMERICA, EUROPE, NORTH AFRICA, MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA ---- people are so much more accomodating and caring and friendly and polite OUTSIDE OF AMERICA.

AMERICANS ARE ON A RAT-RACE TO HELL AND DONT EVEN RECOGNIZE IT.

Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

Most hotels in Dublin, Ireland give a free hot & cold buffet breakfast of the highest quality foods: handmade Irish sausages, Galway ham, black & white puddings, eggs, homemade bread, jams, cold cuts, cereals, beans, home fries, bacon, coffee, tea, juices, milk, etc.... some hotels there will charge 10 euros, but the unlimited food and highest quality victuals are well, well well-worth the 10 euros.

Same goes for hotels in Istanbul & Ankara, Turkey, Munich, Germany or Seoul, South Korea, or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, or New Delhi, India. AWESOME SERVICE AND DELICIOUS FREE BREAKFAST BUFFET

Now compare that to shitty-ass American hotels: bed bugs, cockroaches, overpriced, no brekfast or IF YOU ARE FUCKING LUCKY A BITCH WILL THROW YOU A DONUT AND A CUP OF COFFEE---WOW!! I SHOULD BE SO FUCKING THANKFUL FOR THAT!!!
@Gandalf
Never any "Thank you so much for staying with us!" and a smile, etc. Around the world, in my experience, and my experience is pretty fucking extensive--- 24 COUNTRIES SPANNING SOUTH AMERICA, EUROPE, NORTH AFRICA, MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA ---- people are so much more accomodating and caring and friendly and polite OUTSIDE OF AMERICA.

AMERICANS ARE ON A RAT-RACE TO HELL AND DONT EVEN RECOGNIZE IT.

I think you're taking this to far, America is not as bad as you say. And believe me i've been traveling/backpacking for 3-4 years all around the world and spend almost one year all around Asia: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, China, Hongkong and Bali with all those islands, Gili T, kuta, lumbock and in these places i haven't seen that much cockroaches to be honest, but a few bed bugs, but i never had a problem with them and never had them in my room, just heard stories. And the food been "Alright" Every place often offer an English breakfast which contains a toast, beans cup of tea/coffee and are mostly shit. But i always prefer food thats produced locally and the main food the country I eat. like their "nationfood" as i wanna experience it.

And if we gonna talk about crap food lets start with tourist places, lets say you book one or two weeks holiday from wing travels for example, you go to spain, turkey, south france, cyprus, greece, egypt or anywhere, and you get there and the room is decent, food is all you can eat,
and beer cost 2 dollar a can. First you see on the food table is the chicken, after that you shit straight for the rest of your vacation. they don't care about the quality all they want you to do is buy beer and swim in the pool and go home again. you already paid for it. I think you should get a place locally not on a tourist area, and eat you're lunch in restaurants and in cosy cafes in the alleys! Hotel will always rip you off and the prices are always to much because no matter what people will eat there. And free food? You paid that 10-20 dollar extra on your room anyway.

But lets go back to the Cockroaches and bed bugs, Where i've seen them most is in Australia to be honest. A lot of cockroaches especially in Sydney, bed bugs is quite common in hostels. not sure 'bout hotels not where i've been. And there is ants everywhere in the homes, impossible to get rid off, but you get used to it after a while, you can't leave food on the counter for example it will have ants on it. And in Australia is everything really expensive, well depends if you work here or not but one of the most expensive countries i've been in. You wouldn't find a hotel rum for under 80 dollars, a night in a hostel cost 40 dollars and you spend it with 8 other random people and share one toilet... with no breakfast...
maybe a cup of coffee if you're lucky.

Meanwhile in the states, i was traveling route 66 and could find really great hotels from 25 dollar a night with included breakfast which was actually really good. even though it was that old donut or a dry toast and that jam with a plastic cover which was the basic breakfast. but it was all for free and we mostly ate our own food/snacks but at least they offered it. Even know some places in California where there is 25 dollar a night with breakfast, but nowhere i would go tho. But if you can afford paying 100-350 dollar a night for a room a night you can probably afford a proper breakfast every morning to at a cosy cafe!

And with the attitude of the Americans i find they helpful and really nice. If they see you need help with something, like carrying too many groceries they help you out. Always let you know whats on sale n stuff. Like i bought a shitty old car in the states, just fuel line went off under the car, it was quite late, in the slum area i would probably say i was the only white guy whiten' the nearest 2 km. driving an old pontiac, Stopped right in the middle section, car wouldn't start, started pushing it but was to heavy and all of the sudden there was like 5-6 people pushing it to the side of the road no way i would have done it by myself in that 1964 pontiac which is really heavy. And they even sorted out a tow truck for me too.

I enjoyed the US when I was over there as a tourist. The hot Latin babes loved my accent, food was cheap and plentiful, strip bars were the norm.

I always worried I would be shot/robbed.

Originally Posted by Master

I enjoyed the US when I was over there as a tourist. The hot Latin babes loved my accent, food was cheap and plentiful, strip bars were the norm.

I always worried I would be shot/robbed.

You bad lad strip bars, I would never think you would have been to such places.