PASSPORTS AND VISAS 101

Greenville, the center of the most populous metropolitan area in South Carolina, is often considered the economic engine of the Palmetto State.  While more than 72,000 people live in Greenville, the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C. metropolitan area is home to more than 975,000 – and more than 1.5 million live in the 10-county Upstate South Carolina region.  Major industries powering the Upstate economy include aerospace, automotive, engineered materials, life sciences, and food manufacturing.  Top employers include Prisma Health, Michelin North America (headquartered in Greenville), Duke Energy, GE Power, and engineering/construction firm Fluor Corporation.  The region is thriving due to its location along the Interstate 85 corridor that connects Atlanta, the Port of Charleston, and East Coast and Midwestern markets.

Upstate SC is also home to more than 575 international companies, of which 11% (55) are based in Japan.  According to the Upstate SC Alliance, Japan firms include Jtekt Automotive, Fujifilm, Nippon Carbide Industries (rubber and plastics), Creform (materials handling systems), and Toray Industries (composites).  AFL, owned by Fujikura Ltd. of Kyoto City, has been based in Spartanburg County since it was formed in 1984.  Tokyo-based Nissan Foods began building a $228 million facility in Greenville County in 2023, while Omron Automation of Kyoto has announced plans in 2024 for a $9.2 million industrial technology center in the Greer, S.C.  Overall, Greenville and the Upstate area are major contributors to South Carolina’s $36.4 billion in manufactured and agricultural goods exported globally.

Salt Lake City, the most populous city in Utah with more than 1.2 million residents, is the seventh fastest-growing city in the United States.  Named for the nearby Great Salt Lake (the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere), Utah’s capital was founded in 1847 by a group of Mormon pioneers led by Brigham Young.  The city is best known as the worldwide headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which operates in China and 160 other countries.  Temple Square -- Utah’s number one tourist attraction -- includes the Salt Lake Temple and the home of the Tabernacle Choir.  Three Fortune 1,000 companies are headquartered in Utah: Salt Lake City’s Zion Bancorporation, SkyWest Airlines (St. George), and Nu Skin Enterprises (Provo).  Major Salt Lake City employers include the University of Utah, Zion Bank, BIOFIRE Diagnostics, and Kennecott Utah Copper -- which operates one of the world’s largest open-pit copper mines.  Health care and social assistance is the largest industry in Salt Lake City, followed by manufacturing; professional, scientific, and technical services; education; and transportation and warehousing. 

The number of foreign visitors visiting Kenya has grown to more than 1.5 million people each year, with citizens of the United States helping propel that surge.  Some 220,000 Americans visit Kenya each year – more than those from any other country.  Residents of the Charlotte area visit Kenya for African vacations, to pursue business opportunities, to visit family, or to participate in volunteer activities through non-profits and church groups.

From Indian Ocean beach holidays to inland wildlife safaris, the Republic of Kenya saw tourism surge by more than 80 percent in the post-COVID era. “Kenya is a dream travel destination for its abundant wildlife, spectacular beaches, outdoor adventure, culture, and cuisine,” AFAR magazine reported recently. “The country boasts 22 national parks, as well as 28 national reserves, five national sanctuaries, and dozens of community-run conservancies.”

Sacramento area residents exploring new destinations are among the 80,000 Americans who visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia each year.  With casual visitors unable to enter the country in recent decades, international travelers are now exploring the kingdom to enjoy its long-hidden treasurers. “Saudi Arabia offers both natural and historical wonders, from the mountain resorts of Taif and the majesty of ancient Nabatean tombs to the multicolored coral reefs of the Red Sea,” the Saudi embassy stated on its website (https://www.saudiembassy.net/sports-and-recreation). 

Before the kingdom began issuing leisure tourist visas in 2019, foreign visitors to Saudi Arabia were primarily religious pilgrims, businesspeople, or government officials.  The next five years brought more than 100 million travelers to Saudi Arabia. “The Kingdom's tourism sector has shown remarkable resilience, with inbound spending reaching over USD 37 billion in 2023 and a significant increase in hotel keys across the kingdom,” the UN’s World Tourism Agency stated (https://www.unwto.org/news/un-tourism-applauds-saudi-arabia-s-historic-milestone-of-100-million-tourist-arrivals#). “These achievements are a testament to Saudi Arabia's commitment to creating a prosperous and sustainable tourism sector.” Reform-minded Saudi rulers have prioritized global tourism and relaxed their country’s conservative culture, helping open their society to more foreigners.

The rich culture and centuries-old history of Russia have made it a favorite destination for tourists from the New Orleans area for decades.  The largest country in the world, the Russian Federation crosses 11 time zones, spanning Asia and Eastern Europe to reach the Pacific Ocean near Alaska.  Russia is home to numerous museums, palaces, cathedrals, historic sites, sunny beaches, and majestic ski resorts.

Some 143 million people from more than 190 ethnic groups live in Russia, primarily residing in urban areas and concentrated in the western regions of the country.  The nation’s recorded history dates back more than 1,100 years, including establishment of the Russian Empire in 1721, the Russian Revolution in 1917, the rise and fall of Soviet Union during the Twentieth Century, and the founding of the Russian Federation in 1991.

During the late 2010s, more than 32 million foreign travelers visited Russia.  However, since the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, leisure and business travel has plummeted.  About 8.8 foreigners visited Russia in 2023, just a 3.5% increase over 2022, according to the Russian government. 

The northeastern African nation of Eritrea is not a common destination for casual tourists from the Atlanta area – despite its historic cultural treasures and widely diverse natural attractions.  One of the least developed countries in the world, the State of Eritrea is known as one of the most difficult jurisdictions for obtaining a visa -- and for its many undiscovered treasurers. “For such a small country, Eritrea offers an astonishing variety,” World Travel Guide stated (https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/eritrea/). “It tends to attract a motley crew of visitors: from archaeologists to architects; scholars to scuba divers; historians to hikers; and cyclists to steam railway buffs.”

Located in the Horn of Africa, Eritrea is bordered by the Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti.  The Red Sea forms the country’s 1,212-kilometer eastern border. “Eritrea is known as a land of contrasts, with a diverse range of cooler highland escarpments, arid lowlands, humid coastal plains and desert islands all converging within the 122,000 square kilometers that is home to an estimated 3.5 million people,” according to Peace Through Commerce: Tourism and Development in Eritrea, a government assessment of sustainable tourism opportunities (https://www.iwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Aman-Haile-Sustainable-Tourism-Report.pdf).

Singapore, the modern city-state located just off the Malaysian peninsula, draws leisure and business travelers from Dallas and across the globe with its modern amenities and spectacular natural beauty.  The island nation offers travelers amazing beaches, state-of-the-art accommodations, exciting nightlife, and unique culinary experiences.

Now known as the Republic of Singapore, the tropical archipelago was known for centuries for the marine trading post Temasek.  In the early 1800s, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles of Great Britain established a port of call in Singapore, eventually transforming the island into a major trading center and a British colony.  Occupied by Japan during the World War II, Singapore separated from Britain in 1959 and became a sovereign nation in 1965.  Today the “Switzerland of Asia” is a global financial and corporate center that ranks among the most prosperous nations around the globe.  Despite being one of the most densely populated countries in the world, Singapore boasts clean modern streets, low crime rates, futuristic skyscrapers, and one of the world’s busiest ports.

The African nation of South Sudan is the youngest country in the world – and one of the least visited.  Armed conflicts, ongoing humanitarian crises, and lack of tourism infrastructure have kept South Sudan off most tourists’ bucket list.  However, the country does welcome a stream of businesspeople, charitable workers, and even some adventurous travelers from the Houston area.

Landlocked South Sudan borders the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda.  The geographic area of western and central Africa south of the Sahara Desert is known as the Sudan.  From 1896 to 1954, the United Kingdom and Egypt exercised joint control of the Sudan until the new Republic of the Sudan achieved independence in 1956.  Arab Muslims dominated the northern part of Sudan, while African Christians and other groups dominated the south.  After two civil wars, South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011.  However, continued ethnic violence and another civil war plagued South Sudan before a new coalition government was formed in 2020.

Peru’s fast-growing economy and free trade agreements with the United States continue to offer business opportunities for companies in the Greenville-Spartanburg area and across the Southeast.  Situated in the western part of South America along the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, Peru is bordered by Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador.  The country covers 1.3 million square feet spanning three regions: Coast (Costa), Highlands (Sierras) and Jungle (Amazonia).  The multicultural nation of 31.5 million Spanish and Quechua-speaking inhabitants features the cosmopolitan capital city of Lima alongside vast natural reserves and colorful indigenous traditions.  Lima is roughly an eight-hour flight from Greenville with one stopover in Atlanta or Miami.

Although the Peruvian economy and internal politics of the country have faced difficulties the past three years due to the pandemic, the country has been among the fastest-growing economies in the Americas the past decade, with an average growth rate of 5.9 percent, according to the World Bank. “Peru has solid macroeconomic fundamentals, including a relatively low public debt to GDP ratio, considerable international reserves, and a solid central bank,” the organization stated.  The World Bank forecasts Peru’s GDP will grow by 3.4 percent in 2022.

The Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar is once again open for Las Vegas area residents after reopening its borders following the pandemic.  Myanmar was largely closed to the outside world until the government began encouraging tourism in 1992.  The nation quickly became an appealing destination for tourists seeking cultural experiences, spiritual awakenings, unspoiled beaches, and spectacular natural beauty.  While the tourism infrastructure is more established in neighboring countries such as Thailand and Malaysia, Myanmar today reflects the natural environments of those countries before decades of Western-style development made their mark.   

Formerly known as Burma, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar gains its independence from British rule in 1948.  After periods of democracy and military rule, a new civilian government took charge in 2011 that began actively encouraging visitors and building tourist infrastructure.  Millions of tourists followed as the decade progressed.  However, the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and another military coup d’état in early 2021 devastated tourism.  While political repression and instability continue, travelers have begun returning to Myanmar since the country reopened in mid-2022.