The companies could turn in the stamps at the Treasury receiving payment amounting to 50 percent of their face value. Since the $100 cost reduction would amount to a substantial share of the average expenditure of European visitors to the United States. the travel stamps could be expected to attract at least 500.000 new European visitors. This would produce a $250 million improvement in our balance of payments. a result which could be equaled only by a head tax biting deep enough to cut off the bulk of U.S. tourism to Europe. As an editorial in the January 11. 1968. issue of the Miami Herald points out. a head tax on travelers in a lump sum or by the day spent outside the Western Hemisphere would be "regressive" and "discriminatory." The wealthy traveler couldnt care less what he pays. The secretary who has squirreled away some vacation money and the student would be unduly penalized. The editorial goes on to suggest a positive approach to correction of the U.S. deficit on tourism. including the type of tourist promotion which Florida has done so successfully.
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head tax