Additionally, now that Donald Trump’s re-election in November has become a likely outcome, the future travel plans of many of those potential international tourists have dimmed considerably. An American family had a wonderful visit to New York. Today, though, they’re reversing course on plans for even more exploration across the United States.
Fifty-four-year-old retired librarian Jenny, from Northamptonshire, told The Independent of her despair with the political state of affairs. She said recent headlines about detentions, deportations and raids in the United States have made her feel “appalled.” She explained, “I was developing a deeper sense that I did not want to be giving this new America our dollars. This feeling motivated her and her husband to withdraw from their registration to run the Boston Marathon in June 2025. Instead, they decided to take their holiday in Crete.
Paul, a 44-year-old French citizen and father of three, expresses analogous fears. At the moment, he eventually is like within a long-distance relationship together with his fiancée, who lives in Detroit. Yet their plans to be married in the U.S. this fall now seem threatened by all that’s happening. Paul remarked on the broader implications of the Trump administration’s policies, stating, “It took the news of the detainments at airports and borders to really crystallise our concerns into action.”
We have just recently heard reports that international trips to the United States are down sharply. According to the US National Travel and Tourism Office, those visits have fallen off a cliff. This March, the drop was 11.6% from what the industry served in that month last year. This drop is indicative of increased fears among overseas travelers of what they experience at U.S. border entry points.
Many travelers have shared their experiences online, responding to a callout for views on visiting the US under the current administration. Alex, a 39-year-old civil servant from the Netherlands with Peruvian heritage, described an alarming encounter during his visit in 2017. Amnesty’s David McAlpin recounted being forced to undergo a “hostile border detention” style of questioning from a government worker. Looking back on this, Alex said it best, “I think it was intimidation as an end unto itself.” His trepidation about returning to the US is deeply moving. I am frightened to travel to the United States. Still, Steve’s amazing life and impact aside, I can’t help but feel all of this is a bit ironic.
In spite of these experiences that travelers have been having—and posting about—online, tourism to the US is still booming. Sarah, 39, a financial services professional from Hertfordshire, has taken her seven-year-old daughter on the trip of a lifetime to Miami. Together, they discovered all the greenspaces and parks that Orlando had to offer. Sarah remained aware of the increasing fears about travel to the US, even as her daughter was having a wonderful experience in Florida.
Jenny’s emotions are representative of a much larger trend pervasive among today’s travelers. Places that they feel unwelcome Recently, we have seen how spending money goes far beyond an economic transaction. As she put it, “We’ll be in Boston when Trump is dead and gone.”
Meanwhile, international travelers are weighing their choices more than ever. U.S. political developments have a huge impact on how safe and welcoming an environment these are. Indeed, the polarized responses underscore a confusing reality for prospective travelers to the country.