Previewing the New Passport Requirements

Starting this January, people traveling by land or sea between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean will be required to present a passport or other document showing U.S. citizenship. People flying are already required to present a passport. It’s all part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which came out of the September 11 Commission recommendations for improved security. Some feel that the increased security will help crack down on terrorism while others see it as a crushing economic blow to those in the U.S. involved in tourism, who may see a decline in visitors from out of the country as a result of the new regulations. We’ll take a look at why the regulations were put into place, how they are enforced, how effective have they and will they be and what the impact will be here in New Hampshire, in terms of cross-border travel with Canada.

Guests

• Michael Donovan: President of Visit Canada Ltd., a Portsmouth company specializing in student travel to Canada
• Tyrone Shelton: of the U.S. Department of State’s National Passport Center in Portsmouth. Shelton has more than fifteen years of experience with the Department of State as a consular officer and manager and has worked extensively on issues relating to passports.

We'll also hear from:

• Kelly Klundt: spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• Dawn Wivell: Director of the International Trade Resource Center in NH