INTERNATIONAL TOURISM AND THE OBAMA FACTOR
by Michael P. Quinlin Tourism officials in Massachusetts and around the country are optimistic that a new era in international travel to the United States is about to begin. Why the optimism? The election of Barack Obama has enhanced America’s image in the eyes of the world. Obama’s message of hope and change has rekindled a global affection for America that had been frozen for almost a decade, opening up new possibilities for the nation’s travel and tourism industry. “There is unprecedented interest around the world in this new administration, which will certainly boost interest in visiting the United States,” says US Congressman William Delahunt (D-MA) of the 10th congressional district, which includes Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, as well as the state’s economically diverse South Shore. Overseas travel to the United States dropped off sharply after September 11, 2001, and has never fully recovered. The decline has cost America nearly $140 billion in lost visitor spendi...