RSSNew Passport Rules Begin on Tuesday … How Will This Affect Caribbean Tourism?
Prior to the new passport rules going into effect, the Caribbean has been doing a lot of 
complaining, HERE, HERE and HERE that their tourism will be greatly affected. However, in the United States national security trumps tourism. Will this further impact Aruban tourism?
ATLANTA (AP) — Americans flying to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean made sure to bring their passports Monday because of a new rule going into effect Tuesday that requires them to show one to get back into the country.
Only about a quarter of U.S. citizens hold valid passports, and most Americans are accustomed to traveling to neighboring countries with just a driver’s license or birth certificate, which have long been sufficient to get through airport customs on the trip home.
The new regulations requiring passports were adopted by Congress in 2004 to secure the borders against terrorists.
For all the detailed new travel info requirements from the US State Dept. go here.
Posted January 22, 2007 by Scared Monkeys Aruba, Homeland Security, Travel, War on Terror | 7 comments |
If you liked this post, you may also like these:
Comments
7 Responses to “New Passport Rules Begin on Tuesday … How Will This Affect Caribbean Tourism?”
Leave a Reply
Will be a big tourism boost for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico but it’s going to be BIG headaches for the rest of the Caribbean tourism industy, mostly their tourist hotel industry this year because the new law won’t kick in for cruise ships until next year.
A number of the Caribbean hotels, etc., are offering to pay the cost of a passport. I imagine that there will be a short-term impact, at least … another nail in Aruba’s coffin?
What’s really outrageous is that, due apparently to a wave of high-pressure lobbying, the requirement was relaxed for the cruise ship companies. Does that make any sense to you?
Can’t an illegal alien or terrorist get in the country by cruise ship as easily as by plane? Especially now that the cruise lines are nearly giving away cruises ….
Yet another victory for lobbyists.
Richard,
And we all wonder how Royal Caribbean is having law suits thrown out by a Miami Judge???
Cruise ships have gotten away with murder, literally, for years.
R
the cruise industry, like aruba, doesn’t care whether people get away with murder or not, as long as the money keeps flowing their way.
dennisintn
Just another chink in their armour,another nail in their coffin. When the price is low enough lets buy it & use it as our landfill.
Hopefully, it will cut down the number of people being
“trafficked” into the United States. I think it’s a
good thing.
Actually the requirements of a passport is nothing new for the rest of the world. It might be an inconvenience and expense to an American family wanting to visit foreign land, since getting a passport is a almost $100 a pop. Not to mention the delay in getting the passport itself. So rejoice in the fact that it will cost the avg American family more to visit Mexico or Canada, not only the Carribbean. This however will not be a deterrent to Terrorism. All a passport is a common form of ID when crossing Int. borders.