Skift Take
Hotel bigwigs are now pleading with Uncle Sam to roll out the red carpet for foreign visitors. They're particularly miffed that in some countries visa wait times are about 250 days. In that time, you could watch the entire "Lord of the Rings" extended edition trilogy approximately 100 times.
Top executives in the U.S. hospitality industry are urging the government to take action to lift international tourism, which continues to lag in key markets.
"We're a net exporter of travel," said Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, at this week's Lodging Conference in Phoenix.
Last year, nearly 99 million U.S. citizens traveled abroad, while about 67 million visitors arrived. Ballotti emphasized the need for a more competitive approach to attract international visitors. He noted the issue of visa wait times and comments by a State Department official at last month's Skift Global Forum.
"At Skift Global Forum, you had [Deputy] Secretary o