Promoting international tourism in the US

What do you think about this?

Is US government doing enough to promote international tourism?

The US government at the highest level wants Americans to think they are doing all they can to promote international tourism.

This week, the White House sought to reassure travel industry leaders that the United States cares about tourism and hopes to push the industry as the country recovers from a recession.

Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to President Barack Obama, told executives at the Global Travel & Tourism Summit that the US wants to help make travel easy and safe, attract international visitors and spur business.

"All of these investments stem from a single belief: If it's easier to travel through the United States, more people will choose to do so," Jarrett said.

That is exactly what the United States Travel Association is trying to promote. They want the federal government to ease travel restrictions on visas and make other moves to attract more international visitors.

Easing up on tourist visa requirements would help. Hiring more staff to conduct visa interviews would also help. Would that be enough to drive international tourism in the US though?

A terrible lack of public transportation infrastructure across the country has been mentioned on this forum when discussing the promotion of US hostels. Is that something that should also be addressed along with the visas, or is that a non-issue? Do you think foreigners will just be happy to visit the States and find a way to get around the country on their own?

What else do you think it will take to really boost international tourism in the US?