jq q WEDNESDAY. JUNE 13, 1962 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFOHD. OREGON
'Welcome' Mat Out Throughout Country for Visitors from Abroad
By CLAIRE COX
United Preii International
New York - HOT - The "wel
come" mat is out from New
York to San Francisco in ev
ery language from Spanish to
Swahili.
Americans are throwing
them selves enthusiastically
behind the government's mul-
ti . million - dollar program
to promote "Travel U.S.A."
A hospitality committee to
greet foreign visitors has been
formed by the Chamber of
Commerce and Travel club
of Battle Creek, Mich. Nei
man Marcus, the Dallas de
partment store, has interpre
ters and shopping services for
visitors from abroad. Travel
data is being published
foreign languages by busi
nesses and organizations in
New York, Flo. Ida and Cali
fornia.
The Hertz corporation pro-
vldcs red, white and blue
stickers for autos rented by
foreign visitors saying "For
cing Visitor Seeing the U.S.A.
Kindly Extend All Courte
sies." Bug lines and at least
one airline are providing
package tickets at a single
price covering their entire
sj-tems. Some hotels are of
fering special rates to tour
ists from overseas.
Program Introduced
The official government
program to encourage "Des
tination America" itineraries
for vacationists from abroad
was introduced in 1961 and
is moving rapidly ahead this
year.
About a half million tour
ists crossed oceans to reach
the United States in 1961. The
figure is expected to go high
er this year and help bring
back to America some of the
gold its citizens have been
pouring into overseas tour
ism in record amounts since
the end of World War II.
Most of the foreign travel
ers come from the United
Kingdom, Germany, France,
Italy, The Netherlands, Swe
den and Denmark. Travel
from South Ainerica and Ja
pan also is high.
The U.S. Travel Service ad
vertising program has been
extended to 100 coun'-ies this
year in 15 languages. It is
spanning five continents and
reaching about 65 million per
sons. Prepares Booklet
The government; agent has
prepared colorful "Travel
U.S.A." posters, a prestige
booklet called "The United
States You Will See" in 32
pages of pictures and text in
several languages, a tour-
planning rosp dividing the
United Stales States into six
areas and a fold"- on special
events in the U.S.A.
The service has offices in
London, Paris, Frankfurt, Sao
Paulo, Mexico CIV, Sydney,
Milan, Tokyo and Bogata.
These are similar to the tour
ist office long maintained in
this country by foreign gov
emments. They offer all
kinds of advice, and for the
first time the U.S. govern
ment is telling foreigners
about our national attractions.
In addition to the millions
of dollars being spent by the
government on the promotion,
the privately operated tour
ist industry is contributing
millions more.
Putting In Best Eilorti
Hotels, airlines, shipping
companies and others who
prosper on tourism are put
ting ther best efforts behind
the government program.
Community and civic groups
also are doing their part
An American Express sur
vey showed that interpreter
services for first . lime
rivals have been established
or expanded at major ports
of enlry, travelers aid booths,
airline and steamship offices.
and travel agencies. Pools of
linguists have teen organized
by hotels, restaurants and
travel agencies. All . Inclu
sive package tours have been
introduced under which trav
elers may buy their tickel
in Europe.
Department stores are of
fering help to the foreign
shoppers. Bloomingdale's in
New York has a list of 375
employees who speak 37 lan
guages. Macys found 800
who speak 44. B. Aliman
nas a new visitor service
with Interpreters for 35 lan
guages Including Persian and
Slovene.
Similar Services
Other stores with slinlla
srrviccs include Frederick
and Nelson and Bon Marche
In Seattle; Meier & Frank, in
Portland, Ore.; J. L. Hudson
In Detroit; Carson Plrie
Scott in Chicago, and Fllene's,
Jordan Marsh and R. H
Steam's In Boston.
A delegation of 28 North
Carolina business leaders
went on a 12 day mission to
Europe to promote travel to
the Tar Heel state. The group
ton turopcans they would be
able to visit North Carolina
on a "$10 a day plan,"
providing for 50 per cent dis
counts to holders of European
passports.
The San Francisco Chamber
of Commerce is contemplat
ing formation of "language
hank," which would make bi
lingual residents available to
Meelle"""i,,"
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4: ..... . . .A
'WELCOME' MAT OUT The "welcome"
mat is out from New York to San Fran
cisco in every language from Spanish to
Swahili. Americans are throwing themselves
behind the government's multi-million-dollar
program to promote "Travel U.S.A."
Here, Dr. and Mrs. N. L. Murty, and their
daughter, Sashi, 4, en route to their home
in Hyderabad, India, who stopped in New
York City to see the sights, get a' helping
hand from Mrs. Millie Ferrer, chief recep
tionist of the newly established Rockefeller
Center information service for international
visitors. Mrs. Ferrer is helping the Indian
family unravel the mysteries of New York's
transportation systems. (UPI)
assist foreign visitors who
speak no English. Travel bro
chures in Japanese and Span
ish are advertising the Bay
City's charms abroad and ma
terial is being prepared in
German.
Hospitality Center
The Bay Area Inlcrnaliorv
al Hospitality center, a pri
vate, non - profit organization,
has 700 individual and cor
porate sponsors and volun
teers and three salaried em
ployees. The center puts for
eigners in touch with local
citizens with similar interests.
Kansas has inaugurated a
Meet the Kansans Program"
and the governor is sponsor
ing a program to bn.ig more
visitors from abroad. Ameri
can families generally are en
tertaining foreign students
more, through hospitality
committees such as exist in
San Antonio, St. Paul, Fres
no and Hendersonville, N.C.
In New York City, which
attracts 14 million foreign
and domestic visitors every
year, the West Side Associa
tion of Commerce Is planning
to establish a "courtesy van"
to vis-it piers when liners
dock. The van will be staffed
with bilingual hostesses.
For five years, the city has
operated an information cen
ter in Times Square. It is
prepared to deal with the
queries of an Afrikander and
has even provided a baby sit
ter for a foreign mother
while she has her hair done.
Aids Foreign Visitors
As an aid to foreign visit
ors. Rockefeller Center, one
of New York's major tourist
attractions, has established an
international information
service to provide overseas
visitors with a convenient lo
cation to obtain general in
formation about New York.
Residents of Washington,
DC, regard the capital as al
ready so cosmopolitan that
they need not do much more
to serve a new influx of for
eign visitors, One gesture,
however, is a free booklet
entitled "Welcome to Washing
ton," published in seven lan
guages by the Board of
Trade's Convention and Vis
itors bureau.
An information booth has
been set up at one of the
busiest intersections in the
world - the corner of State
and Madisons sts., in the heart
of the Chicago loop. Depart
ment stores in the area em
ploy multi - lingual aides to
help visitors shop.
The Chicago Association of
Commerce and Industry has
been campaigning for sever
al years to interest foreign
travelers in the nation's sec
ond city. It began holding an
nual international trade fairs
in 1959. This year's exposi
tion will feature products
made in the Midwest that are
suitable for sale overseas.
Publishes Guide
The American Hotel associ
ation has published a "Guide
for Guests from Abroad in
American Hotels," under its
people - to - people program.
Most luxury hotels are equip
ped to deal with foreign tour
ists. Shei'aton, Hilton, Schinc,
Mansion, Manger, Knott and
the New York Hotel apsocia
tion have surveyed language
skills of all employees.
Pick Hotels corporation,
with headquarters in Chicago,
began to court foreign visit
ors two years ago. Albert
Pick Jr., president of the
company, Is co - chairman of
the national people - to people
hotel program. His hotels of
fer reduced rates for rooms
and meals to foreign guests,
averaging about 25 per cent
less than the prices charged
American patrons. Also avail
able is help with immigra
tion, transportation ard tours.
William J. Burns, vice pres.
ident of the Pick Chain, said
foreign visitors to America
are interested in seeing dif
ferent kinds of sights than
Americans who tour Europe.
Seek Different Views ,
"We go over there to see
their historical sights and
ruins," he said. "The foreign
visitor wants to see shopping
centers, parking lots full of
cars, crowded streets and
highways, stores, homes and
factories. He has plenty of his
torical spots of his own."
Because of this difference
in emphasis, a major sight
seeing line in New York City
has a special multi - lingual
tour for foreign visitors that
omits the standard visits to
St. Patrick's cathedral and
other religious edifices and
includes instead a tour of the
docks and housing projects.
Greyhound and Continental
Trailways have established a
$99 tour, which they call "A
aouar a day lor going any
where" on their routes. A
ticket is good for three months
and there is no limit to how
much a person rides on a
bus. Bonanza Airlines is set
ting up a similrr system-wide
fare valid for a set length of
time.
Robert Kerr, president of
the American Society of Trav
el agents and head of the Kerr
Travel service in Los Angel
es, said many tour operators
are trying to establish group
rates for foreign tourists to
discourage the notion that it
costs $15 per day for a per
son to eat in the United States.
New Group Fares
In the air, new special
group fares have been ap
proved by the International
Air Transport association to
stimulate group flights to
America. Pan America World
Airways is spending several
million dollars to encourage
reverse tourism.
"Vitis U.S.A." workshops,
expositions and road shows
have been sponsored by Scan
dinavian Airlines, Trans
World, KLM, British Over
seas Airways, Pan Am Snd
other lines in cooperation with
travel agencies, bus compa
nies, hotels and merchants.
Pan Am last year brought
nearly 6,000 business and pro
fessional men enough to
fill 50 jetliners to the
United States. They came
from 38 countries and repre
sented 100 different groups,
including butchers, bakers,
candy makers, mushroom
growers, fire chiefs and funer
al directors.
The airline keeps track of
conventions and technical
meetings In the United States
anything from the interna
tional mink show to a meet
ing of the American academy
of allergy. Persons interested
in attending a meeting usa
it as a base for operations,
with post - convention tours
taking them to tourist spots.
HONEYMOON SPECIALS
Niagara Falls, N. Y. - IUPII -This
honeymoon city is offer
ing "two can live as cheaply
as one" specials this year.
Most hotels and motels will
provide double accommoda
tions for the sing!a rate for
honeymoon couples register
ing with the Chamber of Com
merce. Many restaurants, the
aters, sightseeing tours ara
offering two-for-the price of
one specials.
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