Tag Archives: tourism

The United States is Still Open to Visitors

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President Obama says there are increased security measures that many travelers to the United States may have to cope with following the attempted attack on an airliner bound for Detroit on Christmas.

“Just as al Qaeda and its allies are constantly evolving and adapting their efforts to strike us, we have to constantly adapt and evolve to defeat them, because as we saw on Christmas, the margin for error is slim and the consequences of failure can be catastrophic,” he said after meeting with his national security team January 5.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is mandating enhanced screening for all air passengers coming to the United States from the four countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism (Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria), and ten other “countries of interest” (Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen). The TSA says the “countries of interest” list is under constant review and may be modified as circumstances warrant.

But at the same time, the Obama administration is also reminding the world that the United States still welcomes visitors, the overwhelming majority of whom come as tourists, students or for work or business purposes. Travelers to United States are important not only for its tourism industry, but also to foster goodwill and mutual understanding.

At the State Department, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley said the interaction between Americans and their guests is “actually part of the process by which ultimately we will defeat and mitigate political extremism.”

“We’re not closing our doors to the United States; far from it,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that the process by which people come here and travel here is as safe as it can be.”

Riding High on the Tourist Biz in Sierra Leone

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[guest name="Jennifer Bunting-Graden, Miguel Baca and Wisdom Amedume" biography="Jennifer Bunting-Graden is from Sierra Leone and lives in Atlanta, where she works as an associate attorney with a multinational law firm. Miguel Baca is a tourism specialist at Development Alternatives Inc., a consulting firm. Wisdom Amedume is an independent management and financial consultant."]

America.gov asked finalists from among the more than 700 African immigrants who submitted business plans to the “African Diaspora Marketplace” to blog about their ideas. Sponsored by USAID and Western Union Company, the African Diaspora Marketplace is a contest that will award seed money to approximately 15 winners to help them bring their ideas to life in their home countries.

JENNIFER BUNTING-GRADEN, entrepreneur:

Jennifer Bunting-Graden

Jennifer Bunting-Graden

Combine rain forests and white sandy beaches with Sierra Leone’s heritage and culture and you have an ideal destination for tourists looking for a relatively inexpensive and unspoiled haven.

But Sierra Leone is stymied in her quest to welcome visitors by an image of the country bruised by a civil war, which ended in 2002, and inadequate tourism infrastructure.

For starters, the airport is separated from the capital city by an eight-mile stretch of the Atlantic Ocean, and there is no convenient way to make this journey. This is where Loma Hovercraft and its partner, Visit Sierra Leone, a local tourism agency, come in. We will provide safe, convenient and efficient marine transportation to travelers and tourists, including an airport-transfer service and tours to the exotic islands off the coast of Sierra Leone.

Our idea depends on the use of U.S.-manufactured hovercraft, which are capable of traveling over both land and water with little environmental impact. Our venture will create jobs not only at inception, but also indirectly through the growth of tourism-related services. However, a hovercraft is an expensive piece of equipment, which makes its purchase a challenge. Our local staff will also require rigorous hovercraft-operation-and-maintenance training. And even before our business is ready to go, we have to work with others to improve the image of the country and increase visitor traffic to this once bustling destination.

MIGUEL BACA, business expert:

The terrain in Sierra Leone

Looks like a postcard, but Baca thinks Bunting-Graden should target business customers as much as tourists.

It is a very creative and interesting idea, but there are a few things you might want to consider to make this a financially viable business. Given that Pelican Water Taxi (PWT) already has a ferry shuttle service between Freetown and Lungi Airport, I think your business idea will need a very strong differentiating factor. This could be speed, comfort or any other thing that customers are likely to value enough to choose your company or to pay more for the service. One thing that comes to my mind is to customize the airport transfer service to the needs of specific segments. For example, PWT has scheduled services to and from the airport but business travelers might appreciate a less restrictive alternative. Focusing on such a small yet high-yielding segment would require a smaller Hovercraft, thus reducing your capital investment. You might decide to actually purchase two Hovercraft: one exclusively for airport transfers and another one for recreation and tourism purposes!

WISDOM AMEDUME, business expert:

The businesswoman should specifically refer to collaborative efforts with relevant government ministries (e.g. ministries of tourism, transportation, foreign affairs) and local government. She should consider facilitating travel arrangements for visitors, including obtaining visas at the airport as part of the value-added activities. A significant portion of the business operation depends on the hovercraft. If its maintenance and repair is an expected challenge, are there contingency arrangements in place? The worst nightmare for a first time visitor is to become stranded at an airport with little or no accommodation facilities.