CEO DATELINE - Associations raise concerns about new travel ban
CEO DATELINE - Associations raise concerns about new travel ban
- March 7, 2017 |
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Walt Williams
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President Donald Trump's revised travel ban is receiving lukewarm reviews from associations, which worry the restrictions could discourage foreign visitors from traveling to the U.S.
Trump signed an executive order Monday that wasn't as broad as the order he signed in January. The new order prevents new visas from being issued to six-Muslim majority countries but excludes Iraq from the list. It also clarified that existing green card and visa holders are exempt from the ban.
Many associations worry the ban along with Trump's tough stance on immigration send a message that foreigners are not welcome in the U.S. That perception is not just problematic for associations that rely on foreign visitors to attend their trade shows and other events, but for the industries many of them represent.
"The National Restaurant Association has always advocated for stronger border security and enforcement measures that keep Americans safe," NRA Executive Vice President Cicely Simpson said. "However, we must balance our safety and security with the importance of the economic contributions of travel and tourism to our country, as we are already seeing negative effects the previous executive order is having on our economy."
U.S. Travel Association CEO Roger Dow said the new executive order is good news for Iraqi visitors, but did little to address the concerns other foreign travelers raised about the initial ban.
"If undecided voters need to hear certain things to be motivated to get out and vote, then the same is true for undecided travelers," Dow said.
Still, most groups welcomed the reduced scope of the new ban. In a statement to travel news site Skift, Global Business Travel Association CEO Michael McCormick said the new order "provides greater clarity about those travelers who would not be subject to the ban."
"It will remain a focus of the business travel industry to hold disruptions to a minimum, and we will continue to monitor the implementation of this ban closely," he said. http://bit.ly/2lTEKek
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