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Joined: 14 Feb 2005
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Location: Cayman Islands
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 Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:57 pm Post subject: News Headline | Cayman welcomes postponement of new US passport rule |
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From Cayman Net News:
Cayman welcomes postponement of new US passport rule
Minister of Tourism, Hon Charles Clifford, has welcomed the US Congress decision to postpone the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WTHI), which requires US citizens to have passports when travelling to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada and Mexico.
Last week Friday, the US Congress approved a further postponement in relation to the WHTI, which had to be implemented in two stages 8 January 2007 and 1 January 2008.
The WHTI implementation date of 8 January 2007 has now effectively been postponed to as late as 1 June 2009 for US citizens travelling within the region by land and sea.
An exact date has not been announced, but the US Congress has agreed to relax the January 2007 implementation date allowing for implementation to occur as late as June 2009.
Mr Clifford said that hard work by the Cayman Islands and its regional and international counterparts have paid dividends.
"I welcome the move by the US government to postpone the implementation deadline for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative," he said.
"I have worked diligently along with other tourism allies to effectively lobby the US to reconsider its policies. However, as the amendment excludes the critical component of air travel, the postponement is an important but partial victory."
While the postponement equalises travel by land and sea, the provisions of the amendment to the Law allowing the deferral of the implementation date are silent on the important aspect of air travel, which is presumably unaffected by the recent amendment. The vast majority of the Cayman Islands' US air arrivals, at least some 75 to 80 percent, currently possess passports according to statistics from the Departments of Tourism and Immigration.
The Cayman Islands firmly believes that everything that can be done must be done to achieve a level playing field for all forms of tourism travel within the Western Hemisphere.
Cayman's target visitor profile is an educated, affluent clientele, the vast majority of whom currently travel with passports, according to the DOT.
The DOT's visitor profile within the US is for individuals who hold a valid passport and have taken at least three international trips within the past two years.
Mr Clifford noted approximately 20 to 25 percent of affected air arrivals is a very significant portion.
"The US is a key market for these Islands. We are clearly interested in ensuring that all legitimate travellers who wish to visit from the US enjoy the unfettered ability to do so," he said.
"Security provisions, which are not uniformly applied, may only serve to deter legitimate travellers and create further challenges for air-based travel."
Despite the postponement, Mr Clifford said his administration would still be seeking a level playing field for regional travel and tourism sector.
"I will continue to lobby as I have in the past year, to achieve a truly level playing field for travel within the region," he said.
"We remain optimistic that the US Government will give further consideration to adopting a uniform approach to the implementation of the WHTI, which is inclusive of air travel."
The Minister of Tourism has worked with various tourism partners regionally and internationally to seek a level playing field for the implementation of the WHTI, he said. In July 2005, Mr Clifford wrote to the US Secretary of State and members of the US Congress on the matter.
He has also worked with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and its member countries to lobby on this issue. This lobbying met with success as the original January 2006 implementation date was deferred by one year.
Most recently in July 2006, Mr Clifford and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Gloria McField-Nixon, joined the International Council of Cruise Lines to lobby on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
In the interim, the Cayman Islands continues to vigilantly respond on all fronts, according to the DOT.
The Department said that it is working with its industry partners to advise potential US visitors through points of sale such as travel agents and websites, that a passport will be required for future travel to the region.
NOTE: There seems to be some ambiguity regarding the details and interpretations of the new and proposed passport requirements. I strongly encourage everyone to check with their carrier well in advance of their vacation regarding travel document requirements. - Joe |
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Joe Stebbins
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Last edited by Joe Stebbins on Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
Edited By : Joe Stebbins Mon, 09 Oct 2006 18:14:28 -0400
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