News from G8
According to this item on a poll by independent market research firm GMI, Inc., people from the G8 countries aren’t so hot on the idea of coming to the U.S. for business, pleasure, and one would have to assume, meetings:
- GMI’s World Poll, which samples 8,000 individuals from all G8 economic countries* (1,000 representative sampling in each), is the first internationally focused public-opinion survey to compile data linking the Bush administration’s foreign policies directly to consumers’ willingness to purchase American good and services abroad. The poll reveals that 55% of Japanese, 36% of Germans and 32% of French are less likely to visit America for business or tourism, due to America’s global war on terrorism and unilateral foreign policies. Fifty-five percent of international consumers surveyed cite an increasingly negative perception of the United States, while 67% of international consumers believe American unilateral foreign policies are guided by “self interests” and “empire building.”
They’re also not wild about flying on U.S. carriers: “When respondents were asked if they avoid flying on American-owned and operated airline while taking an international trip, 57% of Japanese, 44% of Chinese, 42% of French, and 38% of British responded yes. Out of those respondents who replied yes, 92% of Japanese, 88% of Chinese and 87% of British cited their fear of terrorists as a reason to avoid American-owned and operated airlines. Furthermore, out of the respondents that replied yes, 36% of French and 24% of Germans cited that they avoided flying American-owned and operated airlines on international trips because they were boycotting American products and services.”
Regardless of your political beliefs, this perception is something that people planning meetings in the U.S. need to take into account if they count on international attendees to come.
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Related Topics: Meetings and conventions
