[Text/Observer Network Chen Sijia] "It's summer vacation time, but tourists are saying no to the United States." According to a May 31 report by The Wall Street Journal, due to policies introduced by the Trump administration that have sparked strong opposition from the international community, the number of foreign tourists traveling to the U.S. this summer has significantly decreased. Visitors from Canada, Europe, and other countries are expressing their dissatisfaction with the Trump administration by boycotting travel to the U.S.

Data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shows that over the past four weeks, approximately 1.9 million foreigners entered major U.S. airports, a decrease of 6% compared to the same period last year. Summer flight booking data also indicates that as of August, bookings for flights from Europe to the U.S. have dropped by about 12%, suggesting that the decline in tourist numbers is unlikely to improve in the short term.

Comparison of visitor numbers to the U.S. in April 2019, April 2024, and April 2025 - The Wall Street Journal report image

Several foreign tourists told The Wall Street Journal that they had abandoned their plans to visit the U.S., deciding instead to travel to Europe or stay within their own countries. Policies by President Trump to deport foreign immigrants, as well as reports of foreign tourists being detained and deported in the U.S., have caused some tourists to feel concerned. Others hope to express their dissatisfaction with Trump's policies by boycotting travel to the U.S.

Canadians are the largest group of international visitors to the U.S., typically accounting for around one-fourth of arrivals, but Trump's tariff threats and controversial remarks about "annexing Canada" have angered them. According to Canadian government data, the number of people flying from Canada to the U.S. decreased by 20% in April, while the number crossing the border by land fell by 35%.

Data from aviation analytics company Cirium shows that in Canada, summer bookings for flights to the U.S. are down 22% compared to the same period last year, with bookings to Los Angeles and Miami dropping by about one-third.

John Parmelee, who runs a restaurant called Naked Turtle in Plattsburgh, New York State, which is only 40 kilometers from the U.S.-Canada border, said that about 70% of summer visitors are Canadians. Parmelee stated that he has noticed a noticeable decline in Canadian visitors to Plattsburgh since early May.

To attract Canadian visitors, Parmelee plans to erect a large Canadian flag in front of the restaurant and consider offering discounts to Canadian visitors. He told The Wall Street Journal, "We are very concerned about what the future holds. It's a bit like during the pandemic; we don't know how things will turn out."

Canadian truck driver Marc Toews said he had originally planned a road trip across the U.S., but Trump's comments about "annexing Canada" changed his mind. "Politically, I can do little, but what I can do is not spend my money in the U.S." Toews has adjusted his plan and decided to take a domestic road trip in Canada this fall.

May 23, Los Angeles International Airport, California, USA - Visual China

Many visitors from Europe and other countries have also changed their summer travel plans. David Byrne, a retired corporate executive living in London, UK, said he had planned to spend $7,000 to watch the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, but he canceled the trip because he believed the Trump administration was "hostile" to foreign tourists.

Byrne has already booked a two-week trip to Santorini, Greece, and told The Wall Street Journal, "We spent a lot of money on our vacation. We exercise our options by traveling elsewhere, and we'll spend our money in Europe."

Achim Diergarten, a lawyer from Munich, Germany, has given up on his plan to visit the U.S. West Coast this summer and decided to go to Vancouver, Canada instead. He said news of Europeans being detained and deported in the U.S. made him feel worried, "I have to worry about being stopped or even arrested by immigration officials. At least for the next four years, the U.S. is off-limits to me."

Scott Mills, general manager of the Garland Hotel in California, said the hotel's international visitors have dropped by 30% this year, with a decline in bookings for the coming months as well. "The reasons include politics, visa concerns, and the impact of wildfires on the scenery."

In January this year, a massive wildfire broke out in California, causing severe damage to several neighborhoods. Mills said some foreign tourists mistakenly believed that all of Los Angeles had been destroyed by fire.

The Wall Street Journal reported that travel and tourism account for about 3% of the U.S. GDP, with foreign tourists contributing only a small portion. However, analysts pointed out that some regions in the U.S. that rely heavily on tourism may suffer significant impacts, such as border towns near Canada.

Aran Ryan, research director at Travel Economics, a subsidiary of Oxford Economics UK, noted that the tourism industry is primarily composed of small businesses, which find it difficult to withstand fluctuations in demand. Travel Economics predicts that as tourist numbers decline, international spending in the U.S. will drop by about $8.5 billion in 2025, a decrease of approximately 5%.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7510934428583985718/

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