Did U.S. Lose Olympics Because We’re Unwelcoming?

The suggestion has been raised, by Arthur Frommer and The Atlantic’s Andrew Sullivan, among others, that Chicago lost its bid to host the 2016 Olympics at least in part because the United States is unfriendly to foreign visitors.

As I’ve mentioned before, the foreign press is full of horror stories from travelers who say they’ve been mistreated at our borders and in our airports. The response, at least in the U.S. Senate, has been to approve a $10 visitor tax to promote tourism. Not a dime would go toward addressing visitors’ concerns.

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