Westerners increasingly hesitant to travel to US out of fear of arrests and detentions as Trump enforces crackdown

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.

  • jaybone@lemmy.world
    15·
    14 days ago

    Only 9% decrease? That sounds pretty optimistic.

    I’d guess it will be more like 50%. Guess we’ll see.

    • Raiderkev@lemmy.world
      1·
      13 days ago

      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.

      • Bytemeister@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        13 days ago

        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.

    • Em Adespoton@lemmy.ca
      1·
      13 days ago

      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.

    • jacksilver@lemmy.world
      1·
      13 days ago

      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.