Lower thirds:

00:01 Misha Komadovsky / DW Correspondent, Philadelphia
00:33 Lauren Swartz / President and CEO, World Affairs Council of Philadelphia
01:18 Iryna Mazur / Immigration Attorney
02:28 Anbritt Stengele / Owner and President of Sports Traveler
04:01 Nina Ahmad, Philadelphia City Council Member

Script:

+++ PTC Misha Komadovsky, DW Correspondent, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania +++
"In just a few weeks, this stadium in Philadelphia will host FIFA World Cup matches. The city is preparing for six games and a surge of international fans. But visa uncertainty and rising airfares could dampen travel demand. So the question is: Is America ready to welcome the world? And is the world ready for today’s version of America?"

Some international fans are not rushing to book their trips to the United States. A recent survey found that 75% of Philadelphia-area hotels are seeing lower bookings than expected.

+++ Lauren Swartz, President and CEO, World Affairs Council of Philadelphia (00:32-01:05) +++
"I think it's amplified in the US, right? Prices are up all over the world for things like air tickets. The pricing on FIFA with their dynamic tickets is affecting fans all over the world, but the unique uncertainty that is surrounded by the American brand right now in our identity in the world. I can understand why that would give our friends and travelers and visitors from abroad maybe a pause when they say, I love the United States, I'm friends with so many Americans, I love their pop culture, I want to go watch the World Cup with them, but right now I'm not sure if I feel as welcome as I always said in the past."

For some fans the first sign of that uncertainty comes before they ever reach the United States. Immigration lawyers say getting a visa may be the biggest hurdle of all.

+++ Iryna Mazur, Immigration Attorney (01:17-01:38) +++
"First, it would be actually getting a visa, because right now citizens of particular countries who are on the visa ban, they cannot get any kind of visa at all, but those ones who have citizenship of other countries, they may I may actually be required to pay huge amount of money as a special bond that they will be able to return to their own countries."

And even a visa does not guarantee entry. Some fans worry that upon arrival, border officers could inspect their phones and social media accounts.

+++ Iryna Mazur, Immigration Attorney (01:50-02:26) +++
"We all know that policies are getting very tough, people are stopped at the border. They're questioned their social media sources, they're checked constantly, and immigration officers at the border, they have a huge discretion. Also, like consuls, when you go to a visa interview, a council has a huge discretion whether to grant you a visa or not. The same way when you cross the border, CBP officer may take you for even secondary inspection. /// They have unlimited, I would say, discretion right now to decide whether to allow a particular person to enter the United States."

+++ Anbritt Stengele, Owner and President of Sports Traveler (02:26-02:32) +++
"I sent more people to Russia in 2018 than I have inbound coming into my own country for this event."

For some fans, the cost is a dealbreaker. Experts say many are holding off on booking, even as average international airfare has climbed to nearly $1,100 — up 42 percent since February.

+++ Anbritt Stengele, Owner and President of Sports Traveler (02:47-03:38) +++
"When you get to less than a 7 day advance purchase, that's really where you're going to be spending your top dollar on, you know, on their flight, our country is also.. it doesn't link very well between host cities. We don't have a high-speed rail system in the United States, so any time you're going to be traveling, if you're going to be traveling by train, for instance, you're looking at hours on a multi-stop Amtrak train. So most travelers are going to have to utilize air travel. We also, in this country, it's summer, and our flights are booked domestically just for Americans traveling on their own vacations, so flights are tough in between the cities, also, and so the longer you wait, you're, you're going to be experiencing higher costs and less availability."

The concerns come as the Trump administration reportedly considers plans to halt immigration and customs processing at airports in Democratic-led cities, a move that could prevent some international flights from landing there.
While some see Washington sending a less welcoming message, local leaders in Philadelphia are trying to trump it with…

+++ Nina Ahmad, Philadelphia City Council Member (04:00-04:43) +++
"Music, arts, food, sites, you know. And the most important thing, we are warm and welcoming people, so you will have a fun time to meet us.
We are very hopeful, and we have rolled out the red carpet for them, and we want to assure them, regardless of what the federal government does, we, the municipality here, are going to be protective. We just passed a whole bunch of laws to not let ICE interfere with us. I'm having another law coming up, there’s going to be a hearing around making sure we keep people who are in jeopardy safe with their TNU visas. So we are doing our part in Philadelphia, regardless of what's happening federally, to make sure we're welcoming, we're supporting, and we have resources to help you if you were to be in trouble."

END