European travellers cancel US visits as Trump’s policies threaten tourism
The number of European travellers visiting the US has fallen sharply as political and economic tension and fears of a hostile border under President Donald Trump threaten the world’s most lucrative air routes.
Visitors from western Europe who stayed at least one night in the US fell by 17 per cent in March from a year ago, according to the International Trade Administration.
Travel from some countries — including Ireland, Norway and Germany — fell by more than 20 per cent, an FT analysis of ITA data showed.
The trend poses a threat to the US tourism industry, which accounts for 2.5 per cent of the country’s GDP. Some airlines and hotel groups have warned of waning demand for transatlantic travel and a “bad buzz” about visiting the US.
The total number of overseas visitors travelling to the US dropped by 12 per cent year-on-year in March, the steepest decline since March 2021 when the travel sector was reeling from pandemic restrictions, according to the ITA data.
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Travel from Canadians, a key source of tourism for “winter-sun” destinations, has also declined. Places in the US such as Las Vegas, for example, welcomed 1.4mn Canadians in 2023 — or a quarter of all international visitors.
Research firm Tourism Economics, which had previously estimated a 9 per cent increase in international arrivals compared to 2024, last week revised its forecast to a 9.4 per cent decline instead after Trump’s tariff announcement last week.
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