The country has seen a sharp fall in tourism from across the Atlantic amid political tensions, Financial Times has reported
The US has suffered a sharp fall in tourism from Europe amid political tensions and fears of hostile interactions at the US border under President Donald Trump, Financial Times wrote on Friday.
Trump has taken an aggressive approach in global affairs, having recently imposed sweeping tariffs on America’s trade partners. While he has postponed them for most countries for 90-days, China was not included in the reprieve. Washington and Beijing have since exchanged blow-for-blow tariff hikes, sending shockwaves through global stock markets.
Trump’s policies have hurt international consumer sentiment, co-founder of travel website Kayak Paul English told FT.
“In just two months [Trump] has destroyed the reputation of the US, shown one way by diminished travel from the EU to the US,” English told the outlet. “This is not only one more terrible blow to the US economy, it also represents reputation damage that could take generations to repair.”
Overnight visitors to the US from Western Europe fell by 17% in March compared to last year, FT wrote, citing a report by the International Trade Administration (ITA). Travel from countries such as Ireland, Norway, and Germany dropped by more than a fifth, the newspaper said.
Several European countries have updated their travel advisories, warning of increased risks associated with traveling to the US.
The total number of international visitors entering the US fell by 12% in March – the sharpest drop since 2021, when the sector was still impacted by pandemic-related travel restrictions, FT wrote, citing ITA data.
The downward trend poses a threat to the US tourism industry, which accounts for 2.5% of the country’s $29 trillion GDP, according to the outlet.
Oxford-based research firm Tourism Economics lowered its projection of international visitor arrivals to the US for 2025 by 18% compared to prior estimates, forecasting a 9.4% decline after Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs announcement last week. Negative sentiment, border policy, unfavorable exchange rates, and economic uncertainty will all work against the US travel sector, the company predicted.
Tourism Economics President Adam Sacks pointed out that Trump’s aggressive rhetoric towards Canada, the EU, and Greenland has a “significant effect on sentiment towards the US, and therefore travel.”
The US president has repeatedly pushed for US annexation of NATO allies Canada and Danish overseas territory Greenland since his inauguration.
