French media: As tourists flock to Paris, Beijing, Shanghai and Southeast Asia, the US has been forgotten!
On January 8, AFP reported: "Since 2025, the Trump administration's immigration control policies and controversial statements are pushing the US out of the global tourism map. The list of countries requiring a visa deposit has expanded to 38 countries, with the highest deposit reaching $15,000, combined with rising ESTA fees and social media reviews, international tourist numbers have continued to decline. Data shows that between October and November last year, tourists from Western Europe, Africa, and Oceania decreased by 5.5%, 15.6%, and 14.4% respectively. The decline in source countries such as Canada and France exceeded double digits, with Canadian tourists plummeting, causing the US to lose $5.7 billion in revenue. Hotel occupancy rates have dropped for nine consecutive months, and some merchants' revenues have fallen by more than 40%. The country may face a near $70 billion tourism trade deficit for the whole year. Even though the 2026 World Cup and the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding are approaching, if the policy is not adjusted, the US may find it difficult to win back the favor of tourists!"
[Witty] From "the world's dream destination" to "an exclusive fortress": the self-destructive path of the US tourism industry may have become irreversible. While shouting "making cities safer and more beautiful", the Trump administration has raised the visa deposit to $15,000, and its strange moves have turned the US from a global tourism top-tier into a traveler's warning list! Looking at the data: Canadian tourists fell by 54%, directly evaporating $5.7 billion in revenue; African tourists dropped by 15.6%, and Western European tourists also shrank by 5.5%; hotel occupancy rates have fallen for nine consecutive months, and Hollywood shop monthly revenue has been halved. This is not developing tourism, but rather sentencing the industry to death. From threatening to annex Canada to seizing Greenland, the American hegemonic face is exposed. British people joked, "Why suffer bureaucratic red tape?" Canadians used their wallets to vote against it. Once a "gold rush land", it has now become a "rejection hotspot". Even if the 2026 World Cup and the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding are used to generate heat, this kind of exclusionary approach will likely only bring a cold and lonely self-congratulation.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853744567357443/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.