US tourism is bound to be dramatically affected as international travellers are having second thoughts about visiting the country. As tensions surrounding border security and an endless stream of visa revocations grow amid the Trump’s administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown, the number of European visitors with US travel plans has especially taken a hit.
According to the International Trade Administration, travellers from western Europe previously stayed at least one night in the United States, as quoted by the Financial Times. However, these numbers – compared to yesteryear – plummeted 17% in March.
Last week, hotel giant Accor said bookings for European travellers to the US slipped 25% this summer. Sebastien Bazin, the brand’s chief executive, told Bloomberg that US border detention reports had incited “bad buzz” around visiting the country.
US tourism impacted: Number of European travellers and more sink
FT’s further analysis of ITA data showed that international travel from countries, including Ireland, Norway and Germany, dipped more than 20%. Meanwhile, the total number of international visitors coming to the US fell by “12% year-on-year in March,” marking the steepest plunge since March 2021 when pandemic restrictions severely impacted the travel sector.
Although British Airways owner IAG and US carrier Delta Air did not report any significant impact swinging into action, Virgin Atlantic sounded the alarm for a “modest” decline in US consumers’ demand for transatlantic flying. Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith even notified that they had to slash economy class transatlantic fares due to the ongoing “slight softness” in the market.
Meanwhile, travel booking site Omio’s CEO Naren Shaam noted that bookings to the US were being cancelled at a 16% higher rate in the first quarter than a year earlier. Those who would have to travel from the UK, Germany and France had an especially higher cancellation rate of 40%.
Safety concerns jeopardise US travel plans
Even before the resurgence of new anti-Trump views, travel anxiety had been heightened by safety concerns following a slew of plane crashes. In the wake of the current nightmare, countries like Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, UK, Germany, Finland and Canada issued new travel advisories warning visitors that their entry to the US could be barred despite appropriate visas and documentation.
Europeans’ shattering US travel plans
Adding to the pool of travel scrutiny, Business Insider shared the story of yet another European based in the UK who has visited the United States thrice in their life. Having previously been to Florida, Texas and Boston, the international traveller stated, “As a European, I always felt welcome in the country and never worried about my visits beyond the usual travel inconveniences like long flights and tiredness.” However, their stance on US travel has changed drastically this year. Despite having planned a visit to Niagara Falls in New York this summer, Samantha Priestley cancelled the itinerary.
She cited numerous stories about travellers facing enhanced scrutiny at the US border with US Customs and Border Protection officers search evening people’s devices as the reason for calling off her travel plans. The traveller looking forward to visiting NY, alluded to a French researcher being denied entry into the US in March. Although France argued that they were blocked from coming into the country after authorities discovered messages about Donald Trump on his phone, US officials rejected the claim. They instead said the researcher had “confidential information” on an electronic device, as per CNN.
Reports of British tourist Becky Burke being detained for nearly two weeks after attempting to travel from the US to Canada also surfaced in March. Her father said a late Feb Facebook post, “When she tried to return to the U.S., she was refused re-entry and classified as an ‘illegal alien.'” He added that she was handcuffed and taken to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington despite not having a criminal record, adding “there was no clear timeline for her release.”
“What was meant to be a life-changing four-month backpacking trip across North America has turned into a nightmare,” he wrote.
Doubling down on its strict immigration measures, the US Department of State shared via an X post last month, “US visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued. We continuously check visa holders to ensure they follow all US laws and immigration rules – and we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t.” The situation has equally been hard for green card holders who possess legal residency status. Vice President JD Vance publicly told Fox News, “For a green card holder, even if I might like that green card holder, he does not have an indefinite right to be in the United States of America.”