ORLANDO, Fla. — President Barack Obama’s visit Thursday to Walt Disney World is as much an appeal to Brazilians and their dollars as it is to Florida voters and their jobs. But it was a brief one, highlighted by a speech that lasted just 13 minutes.
As expected, Obama announced he intends to expand the U.S. State Department’s Global Entry Program for trusted international visitors; expand and accelerate visa application processing for several countries, including Brazil, India and China; and attempt to add more countries to the Visa Waiver Program that allows foreigners from 36 countries to skip the visa process.
The moves all are designed to make it easier for international travelers to visit the United States. In Florida and at Disney World, the issue focuses mostly on Brazilian travelers, whose visa applications are backlogged. Florida and Disney World are among the favorite destinations of free-spending Brazilians, who spend an average of $5,000 each per visit.
“We’ve got the best product to sell. I mean, look at where we are,” Obama declared, gesturing to Cinderella’s Castle behind him.
“We’ve got the most entertaining destinations in the world. This is the land of extraordinary natural wonders, from the Rocky Mountains to the Grand Canyon, to Yellowstone, to Yosemite. This is the land where we do big things, so we have incredible landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, the Hoover Dam, the Gateway Arch. This is the land of iconic cities.
“I’m here because I want tourists here tomorrow,” he concluded. “I want America to be the top tourist destination in the world.”
The declaration drew enormous applause from the 300 or so invited guests and top Disney employees who crowded into a seating area in the middle of Main Street U.S.A. and filled the sidewalks in front of the Casey’s Corner hot-dog restaurant.
“The more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work. It’s that simple,” Obama said.
