New fee for visitors to the US
New fee for visitors to the US
Holidaymakers travelling to the US will soon have to pay an 'entry fee'. The new rules were approved by the US government last week.
People renting
Florida villas and other
holiday homes in the US will be charged $10 (£6). According to The Sunday Times, this fee could be introduced by the end of this year.
Once implemented, the fee will be payable when applying for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation). Currently tourists from the 35 countries covered by the visa-waiver scheme need to obtain an ESTA, this includes travellers from
Ireland and the
UK.
The money generated will be used to "promote the United States as a premier travel destination and better explain US security policies," according to the US Travel Association. However, not everyone agrees: "Only in Alice in Wonderland could a penalty be seen as promoting the activity on which it is imposed," John Brunton, the European Commission's ambassador to Washington, told the paper.
This story was brought to you by holiday
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