No Welcome Wagon For Arab Tourists

U.S. Promoters Pass On Opportunity To Lure Wealthy Visitors From Mideast

(AP)  Promoters from 64 countries vied this week to lure big-spending Arab tourists to their countries at the Middle East's largest tourism convention.

But not a single promoter from the United States turned up.

Instead, the U.S. government sent officials from the Department of Homeland Security to demonstrate its mandatory fingerprinting of Arab and other foreign visitors. The only other U.S. presence inside the Americas hall at the show came from a tiny boutique hotel in New York.

"It's bizarre," said Sarah Wood, promoting Canada's Ontario and Niagara Falls at a nearby booth. "People ask us where the U.S. booth is and we point them to the Homeland Security booth."

A pair of U.S. Homeland Security officials at the show did their best to give details on America's tourist sights, such as the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, while explaining that being fingerprinted by U.S. immigration officials doesn't mean a person should feel like a criminal.

"We tell them, 'We want you to come to the United States,"' said DHS spokeswoman Kimberly Weissman. "They ask us about destinations and we give them our personal anecdotes."

The United States used to send small delegations to the show — the Arabian Travel Market — but those dried up after the Sept. 11 attacks, organizers said. Show chairman Tom Nutley has said American operators no longer see Arab tourists as a viable market. Tightened U.S. visa restrictions on Arabs have also kept many tourists away.

Visitors at the show said the lack of U.S. promoters gives the impression that Arabs are no longer welcome in America.

"Maybe they don't want Arabs to visit," said Hussein bin Mutlaq, 52, a retired Emirates army officer. Bin Mutlaq said it was ironic that the Gulf militaries and governments have such close relations with Washington but that individual visits have become so difficult. Two Emiratis were among the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers. Fifteen came from neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Another visitor, who declined to give his name, said he wanted to visit America but was put off when he was told that his uncle was strip-searched three times.

The World Tourism Organization said Arab tourists from the Gulf states spent more than $12 billion on foreign vacations in 2005. Figures for 2006 were not immediately available.

The American absence was an opportunity for others.

A Kuwaiti tour operator, Thomas Sam, said he booked 1,000 nights of hotel stays for clients traveling to Australia, Europe and Asia. Morocco's Go Holiday tour operator reported 30 major agreements to handle package tours from Kuwait, Tunisia, Bahrain, Indonesia and Syria. An Emirati operator, Hassan al-Sabbagh said he'd set up new package vacations in Cyprus because of increasing Arab demand.

New York City's absence at the convention was especially perplexing, as Emirates airlines flies three daily direct flights to New York, and Etihad airlines operates another daily direct New York flight from the Emirates capital Abu Dhabi.

U.S. carrier Delta Airlines operated a small booth at the convention, offering special fares on its five weekly flights between Dubai and Atlanta, starting May 31. Qatar Airways announced it would begin nonstop flights from Doha to Washington this summer and would begin service to New York via Geneva in June.

But even in the absence of U.S. promoters, Arab affinity toward American culture was evident.

Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe impersonators posed for photographs at the floor show, while American-style cheerleaders performed in front of the Qatar pavilion.

American companies investing in the Arab world, such as American Express and Hertz attended the show.

Two major U.S. theme parks announced they would open franchises in Dubai. Universal Studios, which operates theme parks in Florida, California and Japan, said it would build a $2.2 billion amusement park inside the gargantuan Dubailand amusement zone. Nickelodeon Recreation announced Thursday that it would also open a theme park by 2011 in Dubailand.

But no U.S. theme parks — not even Universal Studios — sent envoys to attract Arab visitors to America.

[teeus]

FYI- CHRISTIANS DON'T CHOP PEOPLES HEADS OFF.
Posted by bizzzz

Naw. They just blow up buildings with innocent people in them. Churches in the South? Family Planning Clinics? Any of this ringing a bell?

[andrew_693]

I's easy for these republicans nazis to forget that they were the party that most lobbyed to not get involved in WW2 and that it was through the Vatican christians that the nazis were able to get fake passports to escape to other countries after the war. Let's not forget that it was the christians that burned thousands of people at the stake in the name of jesus and that their descendents voted for bush.

[SamThornton]

Wonder if the DHS folks also mentioned the possibility of a free side-tour to The Black Hole of Gitmo as an added inducement? "Sunny, tropical locale with inventive diet and exercise plans."

[bellal-2009]

"Maybe they don't want Arabs to visit," said Hussein bin Mutlaq, 52, a retired Emirates army officer."

Geeez Abdule.......YA THINK??????
Posted by Infidel_US at 11:30 AM : May 11, 2007

This is exactly what I was going to write.

[randalds]

I for one wouldn't mind if Kalifonicate did fall off from the rest of North America, It wouldn't be too long before they all died from HIV/AIDS then we could take it back and start afresh.
Posted by gunnerv1 at 02:57 PM : May 11, 2007

You know bro you used to at least try to say intelligent things here and engage in real conversation, but the last few weeks you've turned into a troll as bad as lars008, posting only hate. Shoo troll, shoo.

[randalds]

I for one wouldn't mind if Kalifonicate did fall off from the rest of North America, It wouldn't be too long before they all died from HIV/AIDS then we could take it back and start afresh.
Posted by gunnerv1 at 02:57 PM : May 11, 2007

You know bro you used to at least try to say intelligent things here and engage in real conversation, but the last few weeks you've turned into a troll as bad as lars008, posting only hate. Shoo troll, shoo.

[gunnerv1]

j-whitman, Sorry, and as much as I hate to admit it, the boys were of legal age. They weren't 21, but they were of legal age. You know how Senators and Reps. can write the rules so that they don't apply to them.

[j-whitman]

Infidel_US,,,, Monica was a woman & legal age.. Thier scandals involve grown women not underage boys as the GOP,, .... Yes I have a problem with that,, You don't ??

[gunnerv1]

I for one wouldn't mind if Kalifonicate did fall off from the rest of North America, It wouldn't be too long before they all died from HIV/AIDS then we could take it back and start afresh.

[j-whitman]

Infidel_US,,,, Monica was a woman & legal age.. Thier scandals involve grown women not underage boys as the GOP.

[infidel_us]

Except that the baby raping only happens at Foley's and Haggard's parties and the animal raping at Cheney's.
Posted by RandalDS at 02:39 PM : May 11, 2007

and at the Kennedy's and the Franks'. Oh, sorry....Franks' was just a male prostitution ring, but he didn't know about it (wink, wink.)

[infidel_us]

They allow the molestation of Page's, & let Male Escorts have daily access to the White House
Posted by j-whitman at 02:40 PM : May 11, 2007

You have a problem with this? Democrats have been doing it for years!

[lars008-2009]

It is convenient for liberals and fascist nazi Islamic muslims to forget that the "Grand Mufti of Jerusalem" went to Germany as a guest of Hitler during WWII...and begged Hitler to find the "final solution" to the jewish problem. This same Grand mufti used his influence to raise Two Muslim SS Divisions in Yugoslavia (Kosovo) and Albaina. These divisions were responsible for the murder of almost 1 Million jews, Serbs and Gypsies.

This same Grand Mufti was the maternal uncle of Yassir Arafat! The Mufti's war continues today worldwide.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/nazi_arab.htm
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id4/mufti.htm
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=grand+mufti of jerusalem

[j-whitman]

lars008,,,, I'd call an organization like that -- The GOP, as we see it today.

They call you un-America & un-patriotic if you don't join it
They ruin your political career if you leave it
They want to lock you up if you don't do what they tell you.
They ruin your life & business if you speak against it.
They practice pagan corruption
They allow the molestation of Page's, & let Male Escorts have daily access to the White House

[randalds]

what do you call an organization that:

kills you if you don't join it...
kills you if you leave it...
kills you if you don't do what they tell you to do..
kills you if you speak against it%u2026.
kills anybody that is not a member of it...
still practices pagan rituals...
allows the r a p e of babies and animals...

a. satanic cult???
b. islam???
c. all the above???

Posted by lars008 at 01:49 PM : May 11, 2007


D. The neoconservative wing of the republican party. Except that the baby raping only happens at Foley's and Haggard's parties and the animal raping at Cheney's.

[randalds]

The sooner Califcornholia falls off in the ocean, the better.
Posted by Klingon69 at 02:00 PM : May 11, 2007

No, not fall off into the ocean, but if we happened to split off from the loonies in the red states and formed our own country believe me not many here on the west coast would cry. I know I'd support it 100%, if for no other reason then no neocon in their right mind would ever come here again. We already have a good president in Arnie (he could finally come out of the closet as a true Democrat), tons of natural resources and we could nationalize the US Army, Air Force and Navy forces here for ourselves (and I doubt they'd object either).

[teeus]

TELL IT TO THE FASCST NAZI ISLAMIC MUSLIMS...
they have been ordered to kill all non muslims everywhere... every man woman and child....
Posted by lars008

No, wack-a-doodle, I'm telling you. You need to re-adjust the tin foil on your hat. Yes, there are crazies out there who want to kill and hurt Americans. YOU sound just like them.

ALL the Muslims in the world are going to kill ALL the non-Muslims in the world? This is on par with the Catholics and the Jews running the worldwide banking cartel yadda yadda yadda.

You know, they make drugs for that, now.

[randalds]

The sooner Califcornholia falls off in the ocean, the better.
Posted by Klingon69 at 02:00 PM : May 11, 2007

No, not fall off into the ocean, but if we happened to split off from the loonies in the red states and formed our own country believe me not many here on the west coast would cry. I know I'd support it 100%, if for no other reason then no neocon in their right mind would ever come here again. We already have a good president in Arnie (he could finally come out of the closet as a true Democrat), tons of natural resources and we could nationalize the US Army, Air Force and Navy forces here for ourselves (and I doubt they'd object either).

[lars008-2009]

ALL the Muslims in the world are going to kill ALL the non-Muslims in the world? This is on par with the Catholics and the Jews running the worldwide banking cartel yadda yadda yadda.

You know, they make drugs for that now...
Posted by teeus at 02:23 PM : May 11, 2007

obviously the muslim leaders, teachers and clerics believe it.... they are all calling for it....

not one islamic country grants equal rights to it's non muslims...

can you say apartheid... sure you can haji...

slavery is still slavery... not peace...

none of us are free unless all are free...

[teeus]

TELL IT TO THE FASCST NAZI ISLAMIC MUSLIMS...
they have been ordered to kill all non muslims everywhere... every man woman and child....
Posted by lars008

No, wack-a-doodle, I'm telling you. You need to re-adjust the tin foil on your hat. Yes, there are crazies out there who want to kill and hurt Americans. YOU sound just like them.

ALL the Muslims in the world are going to kill ALL the non-Muslims in the world? This is on par with the Catholics and the Jews running the worldwide banking cartel yadda yadda yadda.

You know, they make drugs for that, now.