Summary
The US tourism industry faces a major decline as harsh immigration policies deter visitors.
High-profile detentions of Western travelers have led to a forecasted 9% decrease in visits, reversing a previously expected 5% rise, and risking a $64 billion loss.
Germany and the UK updated travel advisories following detentions of citizens without clear visa violations.
Canadian tourism also dropped significantly amid tariff threats. Denmark and Finland warned transgender travelers about entry issues.
Experts cite anti-immigrant rhetoric and unpredictable enforcement as key deterrents.
Good, this gives me a little hope that the rest of the world is starting to understand how awful the US is, and that there just might be a few actual consequences for that awfulness.
Note this means tourist areas should see prices drop on food in grocery stores because the supply was being created pre-decreased population. The decreased cash flow will hurt businesses and the suppliers will decrease production as to not have to sell at slim to no margins which will bring the prices back up soon enough (or the farmers/distributers will go out of business themselves).
It will give people in those areas a false narrative for the time being though because they will be happy about lower prices and less car traffic… But all the resteraunts will have less patrons, and less money going to servers, less jobs to be had eventually.
The nature and scenery in the US is honestly stunning, and you’re lucky to have the NPS to make all of it so accessible.
In saying that though; there is natural beauty everywhere you look in the world and it’s very easy, and often cheaper to go elsewhere.
Look, I’ve been to the states a good 7 or 8 times and I’m really very fond of the place and the people generally. That includes the, hands down, best summer of my life on a college visa.
I will not be going back there until shit calms down. I just can’t gamble on the notion of spending weeks in a cold, overly bright shithole cell on the whim of anyone on the way through just for a holiday when I can spin over to any country in Europe and just get a smile and a “Welcome” from the border security on my way in.
It just wouldn’t be a rational choice.
edit: I just want to add in that the EU pumps an enormous amount of money on the Erasmus scheme. If you’re not in the know the idea is to get kids in college in one country to do a year of the course in another country in Europe. The only real goal of this is to make people realise that they’re just like everyone else in Europe so we never have an internal war again and it is (along with a few other bits) the best money the EU spends IMO.
It’s not the “immigration agenda”, it’s the “illegal captivity and deportations”.
Just imagine a legal tourist in the US gets their wallet stolen.
Once, when people in the US had rights, he would contact the police, who would help him getting in contact with the embassy.
Where would the tourist end up nowadays? In Gitmo? Or a South American prison?
Initially some American prison then deported to some random country based on what he appeared to be to the racist in command in charge of making this decision
Only 9% decrease? That sounds pretty optimistic.
I’d guess it will be more like 50%. Guess we’ll see.
People book vacations like that well in advance. So there’s a time delay between the bookings and drop. Yesterday I read an article about Dutch travel agencies seeing far less bookings for US holidays. In january they saw a 20 percent drop, but they didn’t have February figures yet.
So by the end of this year, the tourism decrease will likely be much higher.
I was reading somewhere online someone’s observation at Dulles airport near DC, and they said the place was like a ghost town, and they asked a worker about it and they said it’s been like that for weeks.
There was also a recent high-profile crash around there and traffic is being re-routed while the cut-down FAA figures out the airspace.
I mean, it’s only been 2 months. 9% drop vs 5% gain is a 14% shift from expected. That’s impressive, and Trump administration is just getting started.
What I’m interested in is what this does to the international conference scene. I can’t imagine many of them will be hosted in the US this year, even if the event was already booked.
Is this what Project 2025 wants to happen? I heard 42% of their goals have already been implemented. Do they think that isolationism and going back to unilateral, strong armed foreign policy will work? And I thought the Nazis were really stupid…oh wait…
Who in their right mind would want to visit to US at this moment? It’s a clusterf*ck and even with a visa and a return ticket you could be detained.
Man, I was going to go to a wedding there that was super important to me but now I’m SO torn.
That’s a shame! I can understand you’re torn about it
None of the researchers in my lab go to conferences in the US anymore (there is remote participation since covid).
bring a dozen eggs and give one to each ICE agent you encounter along the way
bring a dozen eggs and give one to each ICE agent you encounter along the way
As long as you “give” them somewhat percussively. If ICE is gonna detain you no matter what, make it count!
I am starting to wonder how Americans would vote now if trump allows another election?
Just wait a bit more. The real pain has not yet set in. Wait until they have to decide whether to keep their mom alive or feed their children. It won’t take long.
That’s looking increasingly like a big “if”, unless you mean a Russian style election.
I’m pretty sure we all know how everyone would vote if given the chance to do it again. I only wish those that didn’t would have the humility it takes to admit they made a huge mistake.
What about their threats to a G7 ally? Does that contribute to the dropoff too?
A 9% reduction seems low. I’m curious to know emigration numbers (I’m getting out of here myself)
it’s only been 2 months
Most of the trips that have happened in February and March were planned and often paid for before that time and couldn’t easily be changed or cancelled so many went ahead. There will be a continuing drop off. Airlines are reassigning their planes because so few Canadians are booking trips to the USA, even as a stopover to anther country. Some border businesses have already lost 50% or more of their business.
I won’t be bringing my non-USA citizen family to the USA for a holiday for at least the next 4 years. Even with a perfectly good visa, folks are getting detained. In the past I would spend more than $10k for roughly a month long visit on them (not including airfare to the USA). That money will now go to the EU or Japan.
The thing that sucks is that the USA is awesome, it had great nature, great cities and good food / people.
The orange dipshit can’t take that away.
That said, only visit / give your money to blue states, that’s what I’m doing.
good food / people
The rich, you mean?
forecasted
Stay in school, kids.
I think that’s an okay use - https://grammarist.com/usage/forecast-forecasted/
But grammar is not my strong suit.
