EU plans to retaliate against a tourist fee imposed by Americans. The idea of the fee being introduced to promote tourism has been met with extreme skepticism and many see it as an unfair way of squeezing money out of tourists. The USA is a nation, which has been strongly hit by the negative effects of terrorism, leading to much stricter border and airport checks. All this negativity has led to decreasing numbers of incoming tourists to the USA and a sharp fall in the country’s reputation.
The Americans now seem intent on deepening their problems by introducing a tax for tourists, merely for the privilege of being on American soil.Each tourist visiting the country, who has not been subject to the financial restraints of visa fees will have to pay an extra $10 for merely existing within the borders of the USA. The ploy of American tourist organisations is to claim that the fee proves the great worth that visiting the US has. This claim has been met with not only ridicule, yet also a certain degree of anger.It has been compared to a situation whereby a plush restaurant charges a fee for sitting down – in a word – cheeky.One should not forget that tourism has been on the increase throughout the USA since the horror of the 9.11 attacks in 2001. 58 million people went to America from abroad last year and the tourist sector is on an admittedly slow yet sure road to recovery.
The tax is utterly unnecessary and the reaction of the EU has been uncompromising. EU officials have stated that there may not be any double standards between the two entities. If Americans continue to impose a tourist tax on EU citizens, then Americans will receive the same treatment on this side of the Atlantic. Related:
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I wonder if the EU is going to really DO anything or just keep talking and threatening and doing nothing as usually.
Hm... I Wouldn't compare it to sitting down at a fancy restaurant...
Rather I make this comparrison:
Imagine you had to pay $10 ro enter a store, i.e. Sears, them claiming it is to cover their advertising costs. Would you go there, or would you rather go to another, similar, store who has realised that advertising brings increased rvenue so they won't have to charge for customers to enter their store?
I know which I'd pick. Canada! Here I come!
Good point Niclas! I was so surprised that most of the operators and tourism stakeholders in the US support the bill and see it as a good thing. Are they from a completely different world? They just seem only to look on the money they will get from the fees but not on the money they lose - as a tourist I will think twice before going there!
Another quite funny thing will appear if you consider what countries - or kind of countries - usually charge you money when you enter. ;-)
Guess the US doesn't mind being in the same group as those.
How is this different than the tourism/room tax? Although I have a dislike of all these taxes why is this one causing so much concern?
Why the bill causes so much concern? Well they want us to pay for their advertising - so if you want the US to present their destinations nicely to you, just pay for it. Simply nonsense.
Should follow the lead of Brazil When the US imposed visas restrictions and tough entry conditions for Brazilians entering the US, the Brazillian Govt inroduced the same for US passport holders. Result...up roar from the Americans. The Us has to realise they are not the monopoly in the world and you can do that by fighting like with like.
Result of the Brazillian action: the former conditions were re-introduced.
Bali (Indonesia in general) charges $25 for Americans to come for 30 days max.
How stupid is that. The US is unpopular with some people anyway and now they even further go on having those people not in their country. of course their are some nice places in this country but this seems like they think they are the top of the world and everyone should be glad to be allowed to be on their solid, snobish. I'd rather prefer other coutries then...Canada, Australia, Asian countries, where hospitality towards foreign people still has value.
Almost everry country uses a variety of fees, hotel, airport, or departure taxes to fund their tourism promotion.
So why is it an issue when the US does the same? There are no airport departure taxes in the USA. The Fiji Islands spend more on tourism promotion that the US...which has no national tourist board or department.
To those that don't like traveling in the USA, fine. Travel to countries you prefer. But look a little closer and you'll discover all the ways various fees and taxes go to promote almost every major destination.
Do you think the UK doesn't use airport fees and departure taxes to fund tourism ads and promotion outside the UK???
If every person country the UK adverstises in felt like you do, we'd lose billions of pounds from tourism.
Wake up!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course countries use fees for paying for promotion but they usually don't launch charges with the specific aim of paying for advertising.
BTW why doesn't the US have a central tourist board?
Can you please provide the link where you found the 'angry' and 'uncompromising' reactions from the EU? Or where you found the statement saying the EU would 'retaliate'?
Thanks?