Kavanagh represents some welcome news: The number of international visitors to the United States is starting to increase again this year after plummeting following the 2001 terrorist attacks and the introduction of stricter security.
During the first six months of this year, the number of visitors increased by 16 percent and the number of visas for visits rose 14 percent, according to US government statistics.
International spending in the United States also has increased for the first time since 9/11 and is projected to rise 7 percent to $69.4 billion this year.
Even the numbers of visitors from Middle Eastern countries, which experienced some of the steepest declines, have begun inching up.
But their numbers remain far below 2000 levels, and many of their US friends and relatives say Middle Easterners have stopped investing, visiting, and studying here because of what they perceive as an unwelcoming atmosphere.
The recent US denial of entry to musician Yusuf Islam, a British citizen formerly known as Cat Stevens, inflamed such sentiment, some Muslims say.
The increasing numbers of foreign visitors are credited in part to improved federal visa review procedures, less fear among travelers of an imminent terrorist assault, more confidence in airport security, and a weaker US dollar, which makes a visit to this country more affordable.
Anxiety over other factors that have discouraged travel, including the Iraq war and a global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, is also fading, travel specialists say.
Despite the early signs of improvement in foreign visitor levels, significant concerns remain among business leaders, economists, and others about the mounting costs associated with the stepped-up US security and border controls.
Many had fretted that the last three years have cost the United States good will and hard cash, evident in declines in tourist spending, foreign investment, and, on some campuses, foreign student enrollment.
According to the US Commerce Department, international spending in the United States dropped from $82.4 billion in 2000 to $65.1 billion in 2003.
