When the USA joined the ever-increasing list of countries that charge for visas, CD-Traveller warned readers to be careful about visa service companies who masqueraded as the governments concerned and then charged you a fee.

Newly published data shows that, up until the end of November, there are still fewer of us going to the US than in 2009. But it is only down by 1%, which isn’t a lot in the scheme of things. Compared to South Korea whose visitor numbers to the US are up by over 50% it does make a difference. Why are we reluctant when traditionally it has been one of the big destinations for Brits?

What is there about politicians?
Sometimes despite the brains, the degrees, the experience they have, they act like buffoons living in a strange world uninhabited by real life.
Tourism has huge benefits to the world. It encourages travel which breaks down parochial barriers and helps people understand other cultures. It brings revenue and employment to parts of the world that cry out for support. It can diversify us from living in huge urban soulless complexes sometimes called cities and it relieves the strain of everyday life. That’s one heck of an achievement and provided we manage tourism, in essence it is laudable.

Whether you’re staycation-ing or vacationing, CD Traveller tells you what’s happening in the travel world

Figures recently released show that the slowdown in us visiting both Spain and the United States have ended. During July, the numbers of Britons visiting Spain rose by 4.5% and to the Us by up to 9%. This would seem to show two things; that the weakening euro has encouraged us to go back to visiting countries we found expensive last year and that the rise in Air Passenger Duty last November is not affecting our desire to travel long-haul

If you are thinking about going to the United States in the next two years, it will pay you to apply for your ESTA authorisation now while it is still free. (ESTA authorisations have to be renewed after 2 years.) Even if you’re not sure whether you would want to visit it does no harm to get your ESTA application now. If you don’t go there it doesn’t matter. Why? Because from September 8th, the US government will charge you $14 for each application. What happens if you have one already? It is still valid and you won’t be asked to pay more. You will only have to pay when you renew.

Let’s start with the good news.
It could be that the Icelandic volcano which has caused so much grief to air travellers over the last 2 months has stopped erupting. Experts say that the volcano has gone quiet. It would be nice if it was quiet for the next 100 years.
Just after I left the largest US trade travel conference, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that it hoped that the I-94 green/white forms that visitors have to fill in would be done away with by the end of the Summer. This means that you will only have to complete the ESTA requirements online.

UPDATE: 17 MAY the Department of Homeland Security tells us that the greeen I-94 card will still be used for the time being (probably at least a year) as things run in parallel until a decision is made on when the I-94 can be dropped. They also confirm that on your first entry to the US you will have to have all 10 fingerprints made but on subsequent visits only the four fingers of the right hand will be required to be fingerprinted as this will provide a sufficient match with the previous data that they have recorded

Like a lot of countries, the US hasn’t weathered the recession that well. Like most countries it has decided it needs to raise more money. Like some countries it has decided that tourism is a way of generating additional money. But to get additional tourists it has to advertise and promote itself. How does it do this? By slapping a S10 tax on everyone who wants to visit the country. The money this raises will be matched by up to $100 million of private sector contributions and the whole lot will be spent on promoting tourism.
Sorry it’s not a tax, it is a fee that will be charged every two years when you apply for the ESTA form which allows you to enter the US in the first place. The only people who won’t have to pay will be Americans and those who have had to pay $131 for a visa
The good news is that although signed into law, no date for its introduction has been announced yet.
Will it make a difference? Will it stop people going there?

Visitors to the United States have been used to filling in a I-94 green form which was required by passport control. For the last year they have been trialling the electronic version of this which goes under the name of ESTA. This system will replace the green form in March so it is essential that if you plan to holiday in the US you complete this electronic form before you board your flight. Failure to complete the form means that you will not be allowed to enter the US.

I went to the the USA last week for the first time since they introduced the new ESTA rule. To remind you, this is the rule that says you have to apply online before you depart and submit bits of information that you usually filled in on the I-94 form. (You get the I-94 either [...]