Tourists are canceling trips to the United States due to Trump's policies and choosing other destinations
Kyiv • UNN
Due to Trump's policies, tourists are canceling trips to the United States. Canada, Australia, Europe are changing travel directions due to the deterioration of humanitarian policy.
Travel to the United States this year will decrease by at least 5.5%, instead of increasing by almost 9% as analysts predicted earlier. This is reported by Independent with reference to a number of studies, writes UNN.
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The United States is one of the three most visited countries in the world. San Francisco, New York and Chicago, as well as famous national parks, have attracted international tourists for decades. In 2023, the United States, as a global center of business and tourism, was visited by 66.5 million guests. At the end of 2024, this figure will be even higher. However, the outflow of tourists from the United States has already begun this year.
Outraged by the deterioration of the humanitarian and economic policies of US President Donald Trump, tourists from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe are changing their travel destinations.
A recent report by the research company Tourism Economics predicts that the next escalation of tariff and trade wars could lead to a further reduction in international tourism, which could amount to an annual decrease in tourism losses in the United States by $18 billion (£13.8 billion) in the current year alone.
Since Trump announced the introduction of 25% duties on Canadian goods, the number of Canadians crossing the border at some checkpoints has decreased by 45%. Canada is the largest source of international tourists to the United States. Air Canada has announced that it is reducing flights to some US resort cities, including Las Vegas, from March due to falling demand.
According to a March survey by Canadian market researcher Leger, 36% of Canadians who were planning trips to the United States have already canceled them. According to data from aviation analytics company OAG, the number of passengers on routes from Canada to the United States has fallen by more than 70% compared to the same period last year.
This comes after the US Travel Association warned that even a 10% reduction in inbound travel to Canada could result in a loss of $2.1 billion ($1.6 billion) in spending, putting 140,000 hospitality jobs at risk.
Travelers from Western Europe, who accounted for 37% of overseas trips to the US last year, may also be affected by US duties and the rejection by Europeans of the alliance with Washington with Russia in the war in Ukraine.
A YouGov study in March showed that the attitude of Western European countries towards the United States has worsened since Trump's re-election last November. More than half of the inhabitants of Great Britain (53%), Germany (56%), Sweden (63%) and Denmark (74%) now have a negative opinion about the USA. In five of the seven countries surveyed, US favorability ratings are the lowest since such surveys began in November 2016.
Some high-profile cases on the US border may also deter tourists. In March, US customs officers handcuffed a British woman and held her in custody for more than ten days due to visa problems. That same month, a Canadian tourist was detained after trying to extend her visa on the US-Mexico border. She was held in a crowded cell for 12 days.
Mexico is the second largest inbound travel market in the US. Tourism Economics suggests that problems associated with new border control rules will deter tourists from this country as well. During the first term of Trump's presidency, the number of visits by Mexicans to the United States fell by 3%. In February of this year, air travel from Mexico has already decreased by 6% compared to 2024.
Many countries, including Canada, are updating their travel warnings to the United States. For example, on March 15, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated its advice for the US, warning visitors that "you may be arrested or detained if you break the rules." Previously, there was no mention of arrests or detentions in the recommendations. Germany has made similar updates to its travel recommendations to the US.
France, Germany, Denmark and Norway have issued special travel warnings to transgender and non-binary citizens. Because US authorities now require tourists to declare their biological sex at birth on visa applications.
As thousands of travelers cancel their trips to the United States, interest in other destinations is growing. Hotels in Bermuda have reported a surge in inquiries as Canadians move business and leisure trips away from the United States.
Europe has also reported an increase in bookings from Canada, with some reports showing a 32% increase in summer bookings compared to last year.
Let us remind you
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing that only male and female genders be recognized in federal documents. The order prohibits the use of the term "gender" and the "X" mark on government forms.