rob on the job
January 25th, 2006, 11:49:24 AM
As one who was pissed at the prospect of needing a passport to get back into the US after traveling to Ontario, I welcome the following:
Tourism group calls new border ID unnecessary
An organization that promotes cross-border tourism says it would be absurd to make everyone entering the United States from Canada show a new form of identification, as the Bush administration proposes.
Last week's announcement from Washington that starting in 2008 travelers will be required to produce a "Passport Lite" card at international bridges, in the interest of tighter security, raised more questions than it answered, said Del Rollo, president of the Binational Tourism Alliance, based in Fort Erie, Ont.
"The additional cost, and the potential confusion caused by yet another form of ID, will hamper cross-border tourism," he warned. While the alliance applauds the Department of Homeland Security for dropping its original plan to require passports, it believes that "existing and accepted forms of identification, with technological enhancements," would suffice, Rollo said.
"The technology exists to make this possible on driver's licenses, passports, the NEXUS card and other forms of ID," he said.
Not only would the cost of the new cards burden travelers, but preparing the public for the change would require "marketing, consumer education, an application and delivery process and agencies to deliver the cards," Rollo pointed out.
The alliance, which has members in Canada and the United States, has arranged conferences on cross-border tourism and sponsors "Doors Open Niagara," an annual open house that draws tens of thousands of visitors to noteworthy sites in Western New York and Southern Ontario.
The group has lobbied hard against new border crossing requirements and echoed concerns that additional security holdups at the bridges will damage both economies.
Because the U.S. and Canada are each other's largest tourism and trading partners, both governments "should be working collaboratively on this issue," Rollo said.
link:http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060125/1043385.asp
Tourism group calls new border ID unnecessary
An organization that promotes cross-border tourism says it would be absurd to make everyone entering the United States from Canada show a new form of identification, as the Bush administration proposes.
Last week's announcement from Washington that starting in 2008 travelers will be required to produce a "Passport Lite" card at international bridges, in the interest of tighter security, raised more questions than it answered, said Del Rollo, president of the Binational Tourism Alliance, based in Fort Erie, Ont.
"The additional cost, and the potential confusion caused by yet another form of ID, will hamper cross-border tourism," he warned. While the alliance applauds the Department of Homeland Security for dropping its original plan to require passports, it believes that "existing and accepted forms of identification, with technological enhancements," would suffice, Rollo said.
"The technology exists to make this possible on driver's licenses, passports, the NEXUS card and other forms of ID," he said.
Not only would the cost of the new cards burden travelers, but preparing the public for the change would require "marketing, consumer education, an application and delivery process and agencies to deliver the cards," Rollo pointed out.
The alliance, which has members in Canada and the United States, has arranged conferences on cross-border tourism and sponsors "Doors Open Niagara," an annual open house that draws tens of thousands of visitors to noteworthy sites in Western New York and Southern Ontario.
The group has lobbied hard against new border crossing requirements and echoed concerns that additional security holdups at the bridges will damage both economies.
Because the U.S. and Canada are each other's largest tourism and trading partners, both governments "should be working collaboratively on this issue," Rollo said.
link:http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060125/1043385.asp