A cheaper America doesn't make it a 'must see'
Fears about security hassles and poor image keep foreign tourists away.
By Stephen Humphries | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

When Alison Fisher and Chris Whitehouse stepped off their London-New York flight two weeks ago, they were delighted to find that the money in their pockets stretched a whole lot further than two years ago.

The British couple had considered Australia but found the United States cheaper. "It certainly helped looking at exchange rates before we came out, figuring out how far our money would go with hotels and food and everything," says Mr. Whitehouse, who had just toured Boston and the Charles River on an amphibious vehicle. But the couple's tour was full of American - not foreign - tourists.

At the start of what should be a booming summer season, with the entire country virtually on sale because of the falling value of the dollar, an international pall has settled over the US travel industry. More foreign tourists are coming to the US but not in the numbers expected. The problem is not economic, but political, travel and international-relations experts agree. A poor US image abroad, coupled with overblown concerns about visa and security hassles, is keeping international visitors away.