Sounds far more plausible to me than claims that Michelle Obama was being "like Marie Antoinette".

More:

The exchange underscores what tourism officials here have been saying for years about the sometimes rigorous entry process for foreigners, which they see as a deterrent to tourism. Once the news came out that Chicago lost its Olympic bid, the U.S. Travel Association didn’t miss an opportunity to point that out, sending out a critical press release within hours.…

International travel to the U.S. declined by 10 percent in the first quarter of 2009 according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. To lure visitors back, U.S. Travel has been pushing the Travel Promotion Act, which recently was passed in the Senate and is awaiting action in the House, to create a campaign to strengthen the image of the United States abroad.

I can believe it! We usually go to Europe once or twice a year, but haven't been down to the US in the past seven years, and we live not forty minutes from the border. We figure it's just not worth the hassle if you don't have to go, as you never know, of late, what kind of treatment you'll get. Hope the Obama admin can do something about it!

Friends of ours from South America recently had to go through such a lot of hassle to visit, that this will probably be the last time...

Why is everyone referring to Chicago's Loss? Can't we just let it be Rio's Win?