International travelers concerned about President Donald Trump’s trade policies and bellicose rhetoric have been canceling trips to the United States, depriving the U.S. tourism industry of billions of dollars at a time when the economy has started to appear wobbly.
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Canadians are skipping trips to Disney World and music festivals. Europeans are eschewing U.S. national parks, and Chinese travelers are vacationing in Australia instead.
International travel to the United States is expected to slide by 5 percent this year, contributing to a $64 billion shortfall for the travel industry, according to Tourism Economics. The research firm had originally forecast a 9 percent increase in foreign travel, but revised its estimate late last month to reflect “polarizing Trump Administration policies and rhetoric.”
“There’s been a dramatic shift in our outlook,” said Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics. “You’re looking at a much weaker economic engine than what otherwise would’ve been, not just because of tariffs, but the rhetoric and condescending tone around it.”
The number of overseas visitors to the United States fell 2.4 percent in February from a year earlier, government data shows, with the biggest drops in travelers from Africa (down 9 percent), Asia (7 percent) and Central America (6 percent). Meanwhile, travel from China — a frequent target of the president’s ire — is down 11 percent.
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Penelope Poole, who lives in the Philippines, is scrapping plans for a family cruise in Florida with her 90-year-old mother. Instead, she and nearly 30 relatives are heading to a lakeside resort in Canada.
“My siblings and I decided that given the early volatility and hostility of this administration, we couldn’t take a chance,” the 66-year-old said, adding that some relatives would be traveling from Indonesia and Mexico. “We were increasingly concerned about personal safety.”
This moment isn’t without precedent. Sacks notes that international tourism slowed sharply during the first Trump presidency, amounting to roughly $20 billion in unrealized revenue, even before covid-related disruptions. Back then, it was tourists from Mexico, China and the Middle East who were pulling back, deterred by the administration’s travel bans, tariffs and tough talk on immigration.
This time, Canada — the top source of international travel to the United States — is poised to lead the way. Trump has for weeks said he wants to make the country a “51st state.” In response, Canada’s former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, urged Canadians not to vacation in the United States.
They appear to have listened: The number of Canadians driving back from visits to the United States fell by 23 percent in February, while air travel from the United States was down 13 percent compared with a year earlier, according to government figures from Statistics Canada.
Get a curated selection of 10 of our best stories in your inbox every weekend.
Canadians are skipping trips to Disney World and music festivals. Europeans are eschewing U.S. national parks, and Chinese travelers are vacationing in Australia instead.
International travel to the United States is expected to slide by 5 percent this year, contributing to a $64 billion shortfall for the travel industry, according to Tourism Economics. The research firm had originally forecast a 9 percent increase in foreign travel, but revised its estimate late last month to reflect “polarizing Trump Administration policies and rhetoric.”
“There’s been a dramatic shift in our outlook,” said Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics. “You’re looking at a much weaker economic engine than what otherwise would’ve been, not just because of tariffs, but the rhetoric and condescending tone around it.”
The number of overseas visitors to the United States fell 2.4 percent in February from a year earlier, government data shows, with the biggest drops in travelers from Africa (down 9 percent), Asia (7 percent) and Central America (6 percent). Meanwhile, travel from China — a frequent target of the president’s ire — is down 11 percent.
Advertisement
Penelope Poole, who lives in the Philippines, is scrapping plans for a family cruise in Florida with her 90-year-old mother. Instead, she and nearly 30 relatives are heading to a lakeside resort in Canada.
“My siblings and I decided that given the early volatility and hostility of this administration, we couldn’t take a chance,” the 66-year-old said, adding that some relatives would be traveling from Indonesia and Mexico. “We were increasingly concerned about personal safety.”
This moment isn’t without precedent. Sacks notes that international tourism slowed sharply during the first Trump presidency, amounting to roughly $20 billion in unrealized revenue, even before covid-related disruptions. Back then, it was tourists from Mexico, China and the Middle East who were pulling back, deterred by the administration’s travel bans, tariffs and tough talk on immigration.
This time, Canada — the top source of international travel to the United States — is poised to lead the way. Trump has for weeks said he wants to make the country a “51st state.” In response, Canada’s former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, urged Canadians not to vacation in the United States.
They appear to have listened: The number of Canadians driving back from visits to the United States fell by 23 percent in February, while air travel from the United States was down 13 percent compared with a year earlier, according to government figures from Statistics Canada.
