The United States just passed a new law yesterday that aims to increase the already dwindling number of tourists entering the country: foreign visitor’s will be charged a fee for ‘visiting privileges’.

According to the Travel Promotion Act which was signed by US president Barack Obama yesterday, a new marketing body under the government will be established, with the primary function of promoting US holidays abroad. The money required to finance such a campaign is partly going to be subsidized by a $10 visitation fee imposed on all foreign visitors to the country. The remaining finances required will be raised through private sector contributions.

While the idea of charging incoming visitors to actually encourage them to visit the country seems to be counterproductive, many in the US tourism and travel industry are excited by the news.

“Up until now the US hasn’t had a central fund to promote travel there, but it has been much needed and is long overdue,” says Richard Wimms, the president of The Vacation Group, a holiday company in Britain. “As far as the $10 fee is concerned, I think it’s a relatively small sum compared with the cost of the whole holiday, and is certainly far less than the airport tax charged for leaving the UK.”

However, others are skeptical. “We generally oppose tourism taxes, which this is – we’re concerned about retaliatory action by other countries,” shares Steve Lott of the International Air Transport Association, which represents some 230 airlines worldwide. “We don’t want foreigners to have to jump through so many hoops that they just give up and don’t bother coming ot the US. “

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