Caribbean Lobbies For U.S. Pre-Clearance
Click here for more news / Clique aqui para mais notícias
Melanie Reffes melR6@hotmail.com
Discussions are underway between tourism ministers of the Caribbean and the U.S. Dept. of State for the placement of additional pre-clearance facilities at airports in the region to facilitate quicker immigration clearance for American visitors.
Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said that, if approved, "the measure will go a far way in improving the turnaround time for aircraft entering the Caribbean because airlines would be able to avoid the heavy tax they currently pay, as well as make the Caribbean a more affordable vacation destination for American visitors."
Border pre-clearance is currently in place at four Caribbean airports--Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba, the Bahama's Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport and its Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, and at Bermuda International Airport.
The issue was discussed last week in Washington during the two-day Annual Caribbean Tourism Summit (ACTS). "ACTS provides an excellent opportunity for our region's ministers and commissioners of tourism, as well as private sector partners and senior diplomats to engage in dialogue with members of the U.S. Congress on matters of mutual interest to the U.S. and the Caribbean," said Hugh Riley, acting secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. "Issues relating to airlift and our airports continue to be a priority for the region."
Discussions between the State Department, Congressional Black Caucus and Caribbean officials also focused on amendments to existing duty-free policies, which place most Caribbean destinations at a competitive disadvantage; visitors to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are allowed a duty-free allowance of $1,000, while visitors to other Caribbean nations are permitted a $500 allowance.
Photo credit: Annette Santiago
