Mighty Tourist Dollar - Even The U.S. Prepares To Shed Unfriendly Image.

The US government and private sector are launching a massive effort to reshape America's image for foreign visitors amid concerns that tightened security measures have made the country inhospitable.

The campaign comes as the number of visitors to the US is just getting back to the levels prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks, but with the US share of the multi trillion dollar global travel market shrinking.

Government and business leaders argue that the US needs to fix real and perceived barriers to foreign visitors or risk losing billions of dollars in tourism revenues.

US welcomed some 49 million international travelers in 2005, ranking third behind France and Spain, according to a report prepared for the Commerce Department. But even as global travel is increasing more people are choosing other destinations and the US market share has been on the decline.

"At a time when other countries have become better-funded, more coordinated and sophisticated in their efforts to attract international visitors, the US still lacks a national strategy to compete," said a study prepared by the US Commerce Department's Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

"This situation puts the US at a distinct competitive disadvantage in efforts to attract world travel." The panel is seeking input for "a national strategy to compete for international visitors.
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