That's a win-win situation. It cuts frustration for the traveler. It's cheaper for the airline to handle. They prefer not to call an agent, even though they're looking at the same reservation system. More foreign visitors sought If the Travel Industry Association of America is successful, the guy in the seat beside you when next you fly could be speaking another language.
Foreign tourists are big business in America.
But the United States' share of international tourism has declined 23.5 percent since 1995. That was the year Congress abolished a government-funded agency with the job of attracting foreign visitors. We are the only large industrialized country without a national travel promotion program. Now a number of companies and organizations, led by the Travel Industry Association, are jumping in to fill that void. SeeAmerica.org , with links to all this country's other travel Web sites.