The risk perception needs to go; all are welcome to the US: Fred Dixon

Preventing people from entering our territory is just not a part of our DNA: Dixon

With President Donald Trump all set to unveil a new travel immigration order next week, there is palpable fear among refugees, asylum seekers and tourists. The controversial directive, which proposes to place a ban on citizens of seven countries from entering the US, threatens to wreck the country’s multicultural identity and also hit tourism. FRED DIXON, president & CEO, NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organisation, talks to Dhruv Munjal about how the ban is being perceived back home, the challenges faced by the tourism industry and why keeping people out is not in the American DNA. Edited excerpts:

How have people reacted to Trump taking over as US president? How is the situation on the ground, particularly in New York, which happens to be Trump’s home state?

Most of them are adopting a wait-and-watch strategy. It’s too early for people to make up their minds, or reach any concrete conclusions when it comes to Trump and his presidency. In New York, which has traditionally always gone the Democratic way in presidential elections, people are hoping that the risk perception that is being associated with the US right now dissipates quickly.

What are the American people’s views on the travel ban?

We, at NYC & Company, have maintained throughout that we will always oppose any such ban. I have always believed that New York is the gateway to the US, and we must strive to preserve its rich identity. Despite the world changing so much, New York has managed to retain its status as an international centre of business, art and culture. Preventing people from entering our territory is just not a part of our DNA — we take great pride in our inclusiveness. Helping people is our goal, not keeping them out.

If the travel ban is imposed on a permanent basis, what will be the likely consequences?

Honestly, I don’t know. Let’s just say that people don’t really want to think about that just yet. The travellers coming into the US will obviously dwindle, and the diversity that we often celebrate will be affected. But as I said, we will try to do everything possible to not make this travel ban a reality.

You’ve also been working very closely with India to boost tourism ties between the countries. How do you look at the tourism potential here?

India is still a developing market as far as tourism is concerned, so there is a massive opportunity that we can explore. According to our research, of the total number of Indians who come calling to the US, only 15-20 per cent of them embark on leisure trips. The others come to the US only for business, studies, family gatherings, and so on. But the leisure travel trend is picking up. The purchasing power of the Indian middle-income groups has gone up considerably; the US, in some ways, still has some great aspirational value. Among the countries whose travellers spend the most in the US annually, India features comfortably in the top 10. As the years go by, the Indian tourist footprint in the US will only expand.

How has New York evolved as a tourist destination over the years? How have things changed after 9/11, for example?

New York always belonged to the world, and it always will. The city and the state are changing all the time — it is a melting pot of such vibrant cultures. But the major change has been crime and the environment. Crime has come down significantly in the last few years, and New York is a cleaner place — two facets that naturally attract more tourists. Moreover, after 9/11, New Yorkers started valuing the city more; it brought them together in a way never seen before. New York still has that rigged edge to it.

In this current scenario of fear and insecurity, what are the challenges that the tourism industry faces?

The task is very simple: to make cities more hospitable. And that can only happen with better engagement between the locals and the tourists; enriching that experience and breaking down barriers is what we need to do. A more worrying problem is instability. With the kind of politics on display, instability becomes a concern. We need to overcome that.