US tourist chiefs have predicted tough new biometric
passport rules due to be introduced in October will be delayed to avoid a UK
visa crisis.
In a further move to tighten security, US authorities
are insisting passports issued after October 26 must contain biometric
information, such as fingerprints, to qualify for the Visa Waiver Programme
(Travel Weekly November 10 2003).
The UK does not have the capability to produce
biometric passports until late 2005, leaving thousands of Britons with
passports issued after the cut-off date with the prospect of applying for
costly and time-expensive visas to gain entry.
But Visit USA chairwoman Linda Richardson has urged
the trade not to panic. She said: “If the British Passport Office
can’t supply biometric passports, the US government
will postpone the scheme because it would be totally impossible to handle the
influx of people requiring visas.”
ABTA and the UK Government are both lobbying the US in
a bid to get the deadline pushed back.
Richardson predicted US sales would be way over 2001
levels this year, despite the recent negative publicity surrounding the
country.
Fears over flying to the US are back on the agenda
following the cancellation of British Airways flights to Washington and the sky
marshal row between the Government and airlines. Operators fear holidaymakers
will be put off by tough security procedures.
USA Tailor-made Holidays managing director Philip Read
said: “The US government seems to bring out one set of security measures and
then supersede them with even more onerous ones; it’s creating a lot of
confusion.”