# Trump policies harm US tourism industry **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [April 18, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171 "2025-04-18T15:03:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/1 "2025-04-18T15:03:29Z")
This thread is about the knock-on effect of Trump’s deportation policy: the economic harm it’s causing to the US tourism industry. It’s been mentioned in passing in the deportation thread and in the recession thread, but I think it warrants its own thread. Put bluntly, Trump’s closing of the borders harming the US tourism industry, because those of us who live outside the US are cutting back on trips to the US. Here’s a recent summary article: [https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/us-tourism-plunges-into-travel-meltdown-as-new-trump-era-policies-trigger-seventy-percent-drop-from-canada-and-seventeen-percent-from-europe-what-you-need-to-know/](https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/us-tourism-plunges-into-travel-meltdown-as-new-trump-era-policies-trigger-seventy-percent-drop-from-canada-and-seventeen-percent-from-europe-what-you-need-to-know/) Travel is down from Canada, from Mexico, from European countries, from India, from China… Canadians lead the way in travelling elsewhere. Since Trump proposed the tariffs and began talking about annexing Canada, Canadian travel to the US has shown year-over-year drops each month. Our airlines have cut back on flights to the US because there isn’t the demand. Bookings for air trips from Canada to the US for the summer are down 70%. Canadian school tours and seniors bus trips are both down, as are hotel reservations at sites that normally have a large Canadian contingent in the summer. And it’s not just Canada: > **[I called off my plans to visit the United States. As a European, traveling...](https://www.businessinsider.com/canceled-plans-to-visit-the-us-european-dont-feel-safe-2025-4)** > > Between border control and travel warnings, I don't feel safe visiting the United States right now as a European in the UK. So, I changed my plans. > **[‘I don’t want to give money to this America’: tourists’ fears of US travel...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/18/america-tourists-fears-us-travel-trump)** > > With US visits down 11.6% in March compared with last year, people share their views and experiences on the US border Plus, it’s also affecting how US tourists are seen abroad: > **[Cornered and confronted: American tourists are facing a scary backlash](https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-trump-tariffs-america-international-canada-europe-flights-2025-4)** > > As Trump angers everyone from Canada to China, Americans are growing afraid to travel abroad — and it could get worse. But hey, crashing an important US industry is part of making America great again, right? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/2 "2025-04-18T15:15:24Z")
There’s probably also an effect on internal tourism. Lots of people are opting out of Florida vacations, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/3 "2025-04-18T15:28:05Z")
The Business Insider article was paywalled; but it’s reprinted in Yahoo news: > **[Cornered and confronted: American tourists are facing a scary backlash](https://www.yahoo.com/news/cornered-confronted-american-tourists-facing-080701119.html)** > > As Trump angers everyone from Canada to China, Americans are growing afraid to travel abroad — and it could get worse. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/4 "2025-04-18T16:05:07Z")
Someone I know has a relative who wanted to come to the US from India for a family wedding but was told that it would take two years for the approval. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/5 "2025-04-18T17:25:57Z")
I’m in the Finger Lakes. We have a lot of businesses – wineries and others – which rely heavily on tourism directly; and of course a lot of others which rely on it indirectly as many of the first group of businesses do a lot of their purchasing locally. And generally, quite a few of those tourists have been Canadian. I don’t think that’s going to happen this year. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/6 "2025-04-18T17:41:10Z")
Doesn’t the hospitality industry disproportionately depend on undocumented workers? So it’s not just going to be a demand-side problem, but also supply side. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/7 "2025-04-18T17:44:36Z")
Come on, this story is completely overblown. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement calming down the rhetoric, and assuring would-be tourists to the US that they will be warmly welcomed, and we as a nation are happy and grateful to have them visit. Haha, just kidding! [He did the opposite of that](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/marco-rubio-sends-harsh-message-considering-us-visit-rcna201740): > _Visiting America is not an entitlement. It is a privilege extended to those who respect our laws and values. And, as secretary of state, I will never forget that. U.S. law lays out clear rules about who can and cannot come to the United States. The State Department’s consular officers are required to apply these rules to each of the millions of visa applicants around the world each year. … We expect — and the law requires — all visa holders to demonstrate their eligibility every day their visa is valid. This includes respecting our laws, behaving appropriately according to their visa type, and continuing to meet these standards throughout their stay in our country._ ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/8 "2025-04-18T19:13:03Z")
Technically speaking, the last sentence of Rubio’s statement has always been true. I’m sure that a similar statement could be issued by any other country as well. It’s the use of the word “values” in the second sentence that creates the aura of menace. Beyond the rampant hypocrisy - Americans are notorious for not respecting local values when visiting other countries - he’s sending a signal that that our much vaunted free speech does not apply to criticism he doesn’t like. Your link includes an estimate that the tourism industry will suffer a $90 billion loss, piled on top of the enormous losses from the effects of tariffs. How many more hits to the economy can the country take without noticeably sinking into a recession? Money and power are the only two things Trump used to respect. That he no longer cares about money, despite his shouting, is a truly dangerous sign. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/9 "2025-04-18T19:34:18Z")
The money _everyone else_ is losing doesn’t bother Trump in the least. Why should it? He’s still charging an arm and a leg for branding rights to Easter Egg Roll locations, and whatever else he can think of. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/10 "2025-04-18T19:36:58Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Doesn’t the hospitality industry disproportionately depend on undocumented workers? So it’s not just going to be a demand-side problem, but also supply side. See, this is the genius of trump. He’s reducing both the demand side _ **and** _ the supply side! > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Your link includes an estimate that the tourism industry will suffer a $90 billion loss, piled on top of the enormous losses from the effects of tariffs. How many more hits to the economy can the country take without noticeably sinking into a recession? That’s where the tariffs come in. Try to get with it and keep up, you Doper Downers! We’re going to be swimming in money, so much so we’re going to be saying “stop bringing in all this money-- we can’t take all the riches!” All without having to deal with foreign tourists and their weird accents. Sorry, my sarcasm carburetor is stuck open. Yeah, we’re screwed. ---
**Author:** ![Nightaudit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightaudit/32/17181_2.png) [@Nightaudit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightaudit)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/11 "2025-04-18T22:06:17Z")
Yes, but… The larger full service hotel/ convention centers usually are managed by large management companies like White Lodging, Remington, Step Stone Hospitality or in my case Sonesta. These companies tend to take the legality of their employees seriously. Now as for the independently managed hotel ( regardless if the hotel is flagged or not) they’re less likely to be too concerned about immigration status of their employees. I don’t see the the deportations of illegal immigrants hurting the managed properties due to lack of workers because of number of deportations per say; but it will hurt them because the immigrants will be afraid to go to work on the chance they might get deported even if they are here legally… On a side note. I find it mind boggling why a supposed hotelier (i vomit 🤢 in the back of the throat every time I have to think about Trump being one). Would do this to himself and the rest of the hospitality industry… it’s not like the working poor multi generational Americans are lining up to do housekeeping or banquet server jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/12 "2025-04-19T11:04:52Z")
Article from the BBC reviewing economic impact of declining tourism, plus potential reputational damage to the US: > [@](#): > > “Such numbers help us understand the importance of the sector in the US, showing that a decrease in tourism from top-origin countries could significantly damage the US economy,” said Soligo. “The consequences of these issues can impact both large US-based corporations, such as hotel chains, and small businesses alike.” > > The change in travel patterns is already having a tangible effect on the US economy. [Tourism Economics](https://www.tourismeconomics.com/press/latest-research/escalating-trade-war-threatens-us-travel-sector/) recently updated its inbound US travel forecast from a predicted 8.8% growth, to a 5.1% decline, attributing the change to “strained” travel sentiment, “sweeping tariffs” and “exchange rate shifts” making travel to the US more expensive. > **['A hostile state': Why some travellers are avoiding the US](https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250328-the-people-boycotting-travel-to-the-us)** > > As the list of nations issuing travel warnings to the US grows, some visitors are opting to boycott it entirely. Here's why many foreigners are changing their travel plans. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/13 "2025-04-19T12:10:58Z")
On a purely personal note, my social media feed has been full of anti-trump stuff. I follow and share a lot of anti-trump messaging so I’m quite sure I’d get stopped at the border and then who knows what would happen? We have loved visiting the US in the past but now the country is broken and I would not feel safe travelling there now. We’ve ditched our US dollars for Euro and we’re off to Germany instead. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/14 "2025-04-19T12:16:25Z")
I’ve been seeing billboards on my commute where United Air announces new direct flights from Saskatchewan to Denver. I thought, “Oh man, you’ve got bad timing.” ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/15 "2025-04-20T09:57:28Z")
Article only briefly mentions it but I remember this whole thing felt the exact same during the Bush years, specifically Americans overseas pretending they were Canadians, there was even a Simpsons joke at the time referencing it, so this isnt as unprecedented as it pretends. In fact I remember people asking me questions about George W Bush back when I was overseas when he was President. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/16 "2025-05-02T03:43:20Z")
Sad story about a nice dress shop in Bellingham Washington that’s likely to go under because the drop in sales to Canadian tourists. [https://amp.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article305078241.html](https://amp.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article305078241.html) I think the owner is in denial, however, when she’s says things like: > “And I’ve even had someone be as harsh as to say, you know, ‘I’m a casualty of war.’ And I’m like, we’re people, we’re not in a war. We’re not in a war with anyone. We’re just trying to live our lives and trying to make a living.” And: > we’re all just people, and this is politics. This is men in tall towers having arguments that don’t concern us, right? It’s not just remote politicians doing things that don’t concern us. The President of the United States wants to destroy the Canadian economy and annex Canada by economic force. That really, really concerns me, and has to be opposed in any way possible, even if a nice little dress shop that does good in its community suffers as a result. This isn’t just about politicians grandstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/17 "2025-05-02T03:48:00Z")
Strange. When I open that article on my phone, no problem. When I open it on my desktop, it says I need to subscribe to the Bellingham Herald. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/18 "2025-05-02T04:00:57Z")
Moderating: At the request of the OP, who feels it will be a better fit, this is moved to P&E. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/19 "2025-05-02T04:09:43Z")
Thanks @Aspenglow I’m afraid that quote from _Casablanca_ keeps running through my mind when I read about people whose lives and businesses have been upended by all this madness: > “Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that. Now, now. Here’s looking at you, kid." ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171/20 "2025-05-02T05:48:33Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > we’re all just people, and this is politics. This is men in tall towers having arguments that don’t concern us, right? > > It’s not just remote politicians doing things that don’t concern us. I’ve said this several times and it remains applicable: Many Americans are conditioned to look at politics the way they look at sports. You have your team, you root for your team, you denigrate the other team, and at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. It’s serious, but it’s also just a bit of fun. Outside of a small number of directly involved people, it doesn’t materially affect anyone’s lives who wins the AL pennant, or whatever. Similarly, US politics has been so stable at the core for so long, with so little wiggle room on the highest-visibility issues (Social Security, defense spending, foreign policy, health care reform, etc), that the majority of voters simply don’t see any change when Congress and the White House transition from party to party. Obviously we who pay attention know the difference, and we recognized for decades the GOP laying the groundwork for the current radicalisation; but for the average person, “it’s just politics” is almost literally equivalent to “it’s just the Superbowl.” The fact that people are having their lives ripped apart and they’re _still_ saying “it’s just politics” shows how deep the delusion goes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-policies-harm-us-tourism-industry/1017171.md?page=2)