[Source/Observer Network by Wang Yong, edited by Zhao Qiankun]
The series of policies implemented by the Trump administration are hitting American tourism hard, with many countries issuing cautious travel warnings for the U.S. In the first two months of this year, the number of inbound tourists to the U.S. dropped by 5.1%, creating a huge gap compared to the previous forecast of an 8.8% increase, and tourist spending may plummet by 10.9%. Especially the number of visitors from Canada and other major markets is continuously declining.
According to a report on March 31 on the U.S.-based Travel and Tourism World website, the tariffs and immigration control policies implemented by the Trump administration are rapidly worsening the prospects for American tourism. Airline travel demand from travelers around the world to the U.S. is decreasing. Barry, CEO of Frontier Airlines, said, "The outlook for American tourism is bleak, and international travelers are increasingly disenchanted with the U.S., leading to a decline in air travel to the U.S."
"There is a risk of arrest when traveling to the U.S."
According to The Guardian, the U.S. tourism industry is facing a "Trump shockwave." Under the recent tightened immigration policies by the Trump administration, many travelers have been denied entry due to passport issues, and some have been detained for weeks on "flimsy grounds." Germany has issued a warning to its citizens about traveling to the U.S., and three German citizens have been held for long periods, including a green card holder at Boston airport who was detained but had not violated any laws.
It was reported that a member of a British band was refused entry at Los Angeles International Airport and detained by U.S. police for three weeks without any clear reason... These cases prompted the British government to warn its citizens of the "risk of arrest when traveling to the U.S."
In addition, a Canadian actress said she was handcuffed and detained across states for weeks by U.S. police, even though she was never charged with any crime.
This report stated that the growth rate of international tourists to the U.S. has reversed to negative 9% this year, mainly due to the policies and arrogant remarks of the Trump administration (especially tariff policies), and as international tourists continue to decrease, it will cause losses of $64 billion.
A media display screen on a flight - CNN
American tourism professionals said, "The engine of America's economy is rapidly losing power, not only because of tariffs, but also because his 'arrogant' policies have destroyed market confidence."
Professor Srinivasan of Oxford University pointed out that now, entering the U.S. is considered a "high-risk behavior," even with a visa, one may still be detained or deported.
The head of an immigration aid organization in the U.S. said that during his 22 years of border work experience, "European and Canadian travelers being detained for no reason has never been seen before. Recently, scholars and students from India and the Middle East holding legal visas have also been detained frequently, indicating that the traditionally lenient policy towards allied country travelers in the U.S. has become history." He also believed that "the frequent arbitrary detentions are completely illogical."
Reuters reported that the decline in Canadian visitors to the U.S. was the most significant. According to official statistics, cases of discriminatory questioning of Canadian citizens at the U.S. border surged by 40%, and the number of people crossing the land border into the U.S. in February this year fell by 23% year-on-year, while air traffic decreased by 13%.
According to the latest data released by a U.S. travel data company, as of March 26, the number of bookings for Canadian travel to the U.S. plummeted by 75.7%. Alexis, CEO of WestJet, said that since Trump announced the tariff policy, the booking volume of Canadian travelers to the U.S. has shown a "very noticeable decline."
Some American netizens believe that "this is clearly related to the Trump administration's discriminatory inspections and repeated threats to 'annex Canada' and impose punitive tariffs." "Why would Canadians want to spend money in a country that stabs them in the back?" "I can't blame them (Canadian travelers). For them, there are too many uncertainties in traveling to the U.S., both economic losses and humiliation." A Canadian netizen said, "There is anger everywhere here in Canada."
Screenshots of comments from foreign netizens (collage)
According to BBC reports on March 28, based on unfriendly actions by the U.S. in economic trade and travel, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, "The old relationship between Canada and the U.S. has ended."
In addition, according to a report in The Guardian, the number of European travelers visiting the U.S. decreased by 1% in February this year, and the number of Danish travelers visiting the U.S. fell by 6% year-on-year.
They abandon their plans to visit the U.S. for this reason
As the Trump administration tightens immigration policies, many countries around the world have recently updated their travel advice for the U.S., warning citizens to be cautious when traveling to the U.S. and strictly abide by entry regulations, otherwise they may face detention or deportation. These warnings stem from recent incidents where foreign tourists were arbitrarily detained at U.S. borders, and more importantly, because the Trump administration announced the recognition of only two genders.
It was reported that this regulation infuriated some foreign tourists, causing a large number of travelers from Canada, Denmark, Finland, the UK, Germany, and France to cancel their plans to visit the U.S.
Travel & Tourism World reported on March 27 that Canada has updated its travel regulations for the U.S., stating that Canadians staying in the U.S. for more than 30 days must register their gender with relevant U.S. government agencies; failure to comply with registration requirements may result in fines and penalties. This regulation will take effect on April 11.
Denmark and Finland have also issued warnings about transgender travel to the U.S. recently. Denmark requires passport holders with the "X" gender to contact the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen in advance. Finland reminds that those who have changed their gender may be denied entry.
Among them, a notification posted by the Danish Foreign Ministry on its official website stated, "If your passport indicates your gender as X or if you have undergone a gender change, we recommend contacting the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen before traveling to obtain guidance."
According to a report by Fodors USA, the German Foreign Ministry announced that German travelers to the U.S. "must strictly comply with entry regulations, and violators may face arrest or detention," and that visa and ESTA applications can only choose "male" or "female." German officials advise individuals who self-identify as X gender or whose gender differs from their birth to consult the U.S. mission in Germany regarding entry requirements before traveling.
According to Le Monde, based on the updated travel advice for the U.S. issued by the French Foreign Ministry, French travelers must indicate their birth-assigned gender in their visa or ESTA application because the Trump administration only recognizes the gender assigned at birth, excluding the option of marking "X" or declaring another gender.
Newsweek reported that it is unclear how much impact these travel warnings from these countries will have on the U.S. tourism industry, but the impact will certainly be negative. Some U.S. civilian organizations criticized on social media, "Traveling to the U.S. means they have a risk of illegal arrest. The U.S. government continues to embarrass us."
It will erode the foundation of American tourism
According to The Straits Times of Singapore, over the past few weeks, the Trump administration's tariff policies and immigration control measures are suppressing the willingness of international travelers to visit the U.S., significantly affecting its inbound passenger flow and possibly impacting the U.S. tourism landscape in the coming years.
Tower at Washington Reagan National Airport - CNN
Data from an official U.S. agency shows that in 2024, the number of tourists entering the U.S. reached 770 million, an increase of 17% year-on-year, with Canada being its largest source of tourists, reaching 20.4 million visits in 2024. However, in the first two months of this year, Canadian visitors to the U.S. dropped by 23% year-on-year, and cancellations of Canadian traveler bookings to the U.S. surged. Hotel and Broadway performance searches online have clearly declined.
In addition, Western European tourists (accounting for 37% of U.S. inbound tourists in 2024) and Mexican tourists, which used to be the mainstay of U.S. tourism, have largely shifted to other destinations. Aviation data shows that demand for flights from Canada to the U.S. has experienced a "plummeting decline," and Canadian travelers are shifting their demand to other leisure destinations. Previously, many chose Phoenix or Florida in the U.S., but now they prefer the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Mexico.
According to a report by U.S. Travelpulse, the American Travel Association said that these policies of Trump will continue to suppress international passenger volumes, impacting hotels, airlines, restaurants, and national parks. If 10% of Canadian tourists cancel their trips to the U.S., the U.S. will lose 14,000 jobs and $2.1 billion in revenue.
Oxford Economics predicts that a series of decisions by the Trump administration could reduce international tourists entering the U.S. by 15% this year, resulting in a loss of $72 billion in tourism spending.
This report stated that from increasing tariffs to immigration controls and travel bans, a series of policies by the Trump administration not only sparked strong reactions from the international community but also directly hit American tourism. This impact is not a temporary political shock but will continue to erode the foundation of American tourism.
The report argued that tourism in the 21st century is a globalized industry, where a single link going awry can bring down an entire country's tourism sector. Now, the U.S. is facing such a crisis.
According to a report by The Washington Post, in recent weeks, the outlook for New York's tourism has dimmed, with a sharp drop in the number of international tourists. Approximately 12.9 million foreign tourists visited New York in 2024, but now international tourists are turning away from New York. A relevant official of the New York City Tourism Bureau said that travelers from multiple countries are canceling their trips to New York, including travelers from the UK and some European countries and regions, and New York officials are closely monitoring the situation.
U.S. tourism professionals said that since the Trump administration announced tariff increases and tightened immigration policies, the situation in the U.S. travel market has deteriorated, "International tourists' anti-American sentiment is deepening."
In addition, this chain reaction not only reflects in the U.S. inbound tourism market but also sees a significant decline in domestic public air travel demand and confidence. Travel Weekly reported that domestic airline demand in the U.S. is weakening. From January to February, ticket prices dropped by 4%, with February ticket prices falling by 1.2%, a year-on-year decrease of 0.7%, excluding seasonal factors. Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines have successively lowered their quarterly earnings expectations, and United Airlines expects its first-quarter performance to approach the lower end of the expected range.
According to a report on March 31 by Skift USA, based on the latest credit card and debit card consumption data from U.S. banks, domestic travel consumption in the U.S. is showing signs of slowing. As of March 22, 2025, total U.S. travel market spending on accommodations and related travel expenses was approximately 2.5% lower than the same period last year, with a decline of around 6% in air travel spending.
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (part of the U.S. Department of Commerce) shows that tourism contributes over $1.9 trillion annually to the U.S. economy, making it a key engine of U.S. economic growth. However, under the current trends of U.S. political uncertainty, reconfiguration of international relations, and economic fluctuations, an increasing number of tourists are choosing not to travel to any region of the U.S., and businesses reliant on international customers are facing severe losses.
American tourism professionals are concerned that the current situation of international tourists losing confidence in traveling to the U.S. will have broader impacts, especially affecting major international events scheduled to take place soon, such as the Golf Ryder Cup in September 2025, the Football World Cup in 2026, and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7488656062271324683/
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