Informed Comment

Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion

Juan Cole is President of the Global Americana Institute

Friday, April 21, 2006

WSJ: $20 Billion a Year in Lost Arab Tourism

Meanwhile, hassling Arab visitors and making their visas difficult to get and being mean to them while they are here is costing the US $20 billion a year in lost tourism, and universities have lost $42 million in tuition money, and hospitals have lost wealthy Arab patients. My guess is that we are also losing big time in the area of exports to the Arab world, and that these losses will accelerate over time.

3 Comments:

At 1:28 AM, Blogger Donncha said...

It's not just Arabs. I'm Irish, and I've no intention of visitng the states when I'll be fingerprinted on arrival. You want to treat me like a criminal, I'll spend my tourist dollars elsewhere.

 
At 12:26 PM, Blogger Nur-al-Cubicle said...

And it's not just Arabs...AFP has a story yesterday on the dozens of dance troupes, choruses, and theatre companies that can't afford the thousands of dollars of the costly visas.

And no Olymics for the US for decades.

 
At 6:05 PM, Blogger Q said...

According to WSJ the 20 billion figure is for all international travel Juan.

 

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