U.S. Should Ease Visa Access for Tourists Wielding Cash: View
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Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) -- This holiday season, millions oftourists visited the U.S. Given the economic benefits theybring, the U.S. should be working overtime to welcome theirfriends and families next year.
An estimated 60 million international visitors arrived inthe U.S. in 2011, spending about $150 billion, supporting nearly2 million American jobs and accounting for more than one-quarterof U.S. service exports. From taxi fares to tchotchke purchases,tourists account for a big chunk of economic activity. Statesfrom New York (the most popular travel destination) to Coloradoand Wyoming (both of which have a high concentration of jobs intourism) depend on visitors’ dollars.