Asociace je speciální unie odborníků z turistického obchodu, která si klade za cíl rozvíjet, kultivovat a propagovat turistického aktivity v USA.

Pomáhá při prezentaci produktů svých členských organizací obchodním společnostem a spotřebitelům prostřednictvím např. společné účasti na obchodních výstavách a veletrzích.

Z únorového čísla časopisu COT business:

MF Dnes 29. 3. 2006 článek jehož originální znění vám na základě souhlasu pana velvyslance přinášíme.

I want more Czechs to visit America

Last week Prague hosted over 1000 representatives of the American Society of Travel Agents. The convention was the culmination of years of work by the Czech government, the American Chamber of Commerce, and many others. I was a strong supporter of this effort because I know how important tourism and travel are to achieving my top priority here in Prague: expanding and enhancing the many ties that bind our two nations.

With this in mind, one of my main efforts during my two years as Ambassador has been to facilitate travel for Czechs who want to visit, study in, or conduct business in the United States. Topics like visas and border controls are sensitive and emotional. This is certainly true for Czechs, who lived for decades under a regime that restricted international travel. But it is no less true in my country, which is in the midst of a heated debate about immigration and security.

Travel to the U.S. is strictly regulated by American law. All visitors require a visa, unless a waiver exists. The rules for the visa waiver are determined by the US Congress, which also must approve addition of new countries into the program. The conditions are very technical and specific, including a low level of visa refusals and security standards for passports. The law does not permit the President to waive visas on the basis of a close political relationship or, for example, membership in NATO or the European Union. Countries that fail to meet the minimum standards required by law are removed from the visa waiver program. It is a technical, not political, decision.

The Czech Republic does not yet meet the requirements for the visa waiver program. However, as a sign of our close relationship, last year President Bush proposed the establishment of a "visa waiver roadmap" with the Czech Republic and other new EU members. This unique effort is designed to accelerate Czech qualification with the visa waiver program conditions. Our two governments have agreed to work together on the "roadmap" and have established a bilateral working group to improve cooperation on these sensitive issues.

Separate from work towards the visa waiver, we are constantly striving to improve our delivery of visa services - a process with long-term goals because, even under the visa waiver, all foreign travelers require a visa for anything other than short visits. Issuance of a visa anywhere in the world is done on the basis of U.S. laws that define the steps our consular officials must take, including mandatory interviews and finger-scanning, payment of fees, and making the determination that applicants have the means to travel and will return home after their stay. Nine out of ten Czech applicants receive a visa - a very favorable rate compared with other countries in the region.

Many Czechs remember that ten years ago, when visa demand exceeded our resources, long waiting lines were common in front of our embassy. But those days are over. We now have an appointment system that gives applicants an interview at a date and time of their choice. Earlier this year we introduced an internet-based system for certain student and business visitors. Applicants arriving at the time of their appointment go directly to the consular office, where they spend less then one hour, complete their interview in Czech, and are immediately informed whether their application is successful.

I am proud of the consular services provided by the U.S. embassy. I have enjoyed showing Foreign Minister Svoboda, Ambassador Kolar, and other Czech officials our consular operations, and I am very pleased that Prime Minister Paroubek has accepted my invitation and will witness the process himself next week. I look forward to continued collaboration with our Czech friends on steps to increase the movement of visitors between our two countries.

We sincerely want more Czechs to visit America.

WILLIAM J. CABANISS, velvyslanec USA v ČR