While the number of countries issued to travel to the United States is growing, some visitors decide completely boycott that country.
Here’s why many foreign travelers change their travel plans and what it could mean for the United States.
The BBC in the specialprelog brings reasons why many foreigners change their travel plans and states what it could mean for Americans.
As U.S. President Donald Trump carries out new policies, introducing customs to allies and is calculated with immigration, many review their travel plans in the United States.
Due to the stricter implementation of border rules, some Canadian and European tourists have recently been detained, which encouraged Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland and Portugal to issue warnings and advice to the United States.
Now it seems to grow the number of those who call on the complete boycott of travel in the United States.
A cold relationship from neighboring Canada is especially noticeable, from which more than 20 million tourists come from – more than any other country.
In response to Trump’s proposed customs and repeated threats, the former Prime Minister Justin Trudea was recently called on Canadians: “Adding:” That could mean changing your summer plans to stay here in Canada. “
The call was obviously encountered the response, because many angry Canadians are now boycotted by the US vacation. In February, the number of border crossings fell by more than 20 percent, according to the data of the Canada Statistical Office.
The American Tourist Association estimates that even 10 percent reduction of Canadian visitors could result in a loss of $ 2.1 billion in spending and loss of 14,000 jobs.
While some Canadians are boycotting now because of the changes in politics, others say they just don’t feel safe as it used to be the case.
– My partner and I decided not to go to planned vacations in the USA this year – said the Canadian journalist who publishes the travelogues of Kate Dingwall. “I’m worried about the border and the possibility of staying retained, especially the way Trump ‘has been overwhelmed’ the attitude towards Canada. There is currently a sense of insecurity when it comes to visit America.”
Keith Serry, writer and comedian from Montreal, canceled five appearances in April in New York for a tense political situation.
– Sincerely speaking, I just don’t feel safe at the US right now. In addition, I feel a strong repulsion for spending my money in a way that could help the economy of the enemy state – he published on Facebook.
In recent months, some Canadians faced stricter control at the border than ever before – even those with clean files and valid documentation. One woman became an international news because she was retained by ICE (US government’s immigration agency) for two weeks in, allegedly, bad conditions after her visa was revoked.
It is interesting that this happens exactly when the United States has experienced record growth in the travel and tourism sector. Martha Soligo, a professor at UNLV and the Director of the Tourist Research Office on UNLV, sent the World Travel and Tourism Council Report (WTTC) from 2024. year, which shows that the US is the leading tourism market in the world.
Not only did the industry achieve an unprecedented economic effect of 2.36 trillion dollars in the US, but the data of the US Office for Statistics of the Work show that the US economy will add more than 800,000 jobs in the free time and catering sector.
– Such figures help us understand the importance of this sector in the US, showing that the reduction of tourism from countries with the largest number of visitors can seriously harm the American economy – says Soligo. “The consequences of these problems can also affect large American corporations, such as hotel chains, but also small entrepreneurs.”
Change in travel patterns already has a tangible effect on the American economy. Tourism Economics recently updated its forecast in the U.S. to the forecast of 8.8 percent growth of 5.1 percent, attributing a change to travel, “currency exchange rate”, which makes travel in the United States more expensive.
– The combination of travel ban and reduction in the United States can have a significant impact on tourism and economic development – said Jeff Le, a former Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet for the Federal State of California and the Federal Coordinator of that State during the first term of Trump administration.
Only in California, international visitors brought more than $ 24 billion in the local economy in 2023. years, he says Le.
– The loss of this would probably hurt both people and local budgets, “he said. “It’s harder to measure the reputational loss, but I can’t imagine the active boycott will help.”
Although the broader influence of boycotting travel could have significant effects, at the federal and local level, some activist organizations also warn that the loss of money from tourism will feel the most ordinary citizens.
(Vijesti.ba / Fena)
