As tourists 'boycott America', here's why I'm still taking my USA trip

If you’re not going to the United States because of politics or concerns about border control, you’re missing out.

North America is gearing up for its peak tourist season but every day seems to bring a fresh report that fewer people are travelling to the US. 

Flight Centre recently said it could lose up to $100 million in earnings this year and several articles have cited plummeting visitor numbers from key markets including the UK, Germany and Australia.

The reality is more nuanced. Yes, Australian visitors to the US fell by seven per cent in March compared to the same period last year. But in April they were up one per cent with arrivals into California up by five per cent.

Whatever the numbers, it’s clear there’s growing concern given the tales of extra scrutiny at the border in the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration and people being detained. What’s not clear is how much of that was already happening but wasn’t getting any coverage. Let’s face it, the US border has never been the friendliest of places.

All of which has led to suggestions we should boycott the US and go on holiday somewhere else. I struggle with this conclusion. For a start, a country is not its leader. Sure, around 77.3 million Americans voted for Trump, but even more (77.9 million) didn’t. Is the rationale to somehow penalise those who supported him by depriving them of our tourist dollars?

No other nation has a national park system that has preserved such an extraordinary array of natural wonders.

In most cases a country’s leader has little bearing on its tourist offerings. Was sunrise at Uluru any less magical because Kevin Rudd was prime minister? Was Bondi Beach any less appealing when Tony Abbott was in charge?

No other country can match America’s tourism offering. No other city has New York’s energy and sense of potential. No other nation has a national park system that has preserved such an extraordinary array of natural wonders.

Where else can you drive from the birthplace of jazz through the blues-infused cotton fields of Mississippi to the cultural epicentre of country music? Give me an adventure that rivals rafting through the Grand Canyon, a snaking chasm whose blushing rock walls provide a 1.8-billion-year geological snapshot.

This month, I’m spending four weeks in the US, starting with one of the world’s great rail journeys, the California Zephyr, a storied train trip from San Francisco to Chicago.

Are there things about America I don’t agree with or understand? Absolutely. Gun culture, Kim Kardashian and baseball, for a start. But there are things about every country I don’t agree with or understand. Isn’t that why we travel? To experience contrast and difference?

Right now, the hardest thing about holidaying in the US is the cost, which has soared thanks to global inflation and the weak Australian dollar. But that also applies to other popular destinations, including the UK and Europe.

This month, I’m spending four weeks in the US, starting with one of the world’s great rail journeys, the California Zephyr, a storied train trip from San Francisco to Chicago that snakes through the Rocky Mountains. After a few days enjoying Chicago’s blues, brews and architectural splendour, I’ll head to Montana for hiking, biking and rafting in the spectacular snow-dusted surrounds of Glacier National Park.

I’ll make my annual pilgrimage to New York, a city that never fails to enchant thanks to an ever-changing kaleidoscope of world-class art, theatre and cuisine.

Finally, I’ll make my annual pilgrimage to New York, a city that never fails to enchant thanks to an ever-changing kaleidoscope of world-class art, theatre and cuisine.

So, to all the US haters out there, please go on holiday somewhere else. I’d rather not listen to whingeing about Trump, tariffs and tipping. 

I’ll be hanging out with hardworking Americans, the majority of whom are among the friendliest, most curious and hospitable people on the planet. Including those who voted for Trump.

Originally published as As tourists 'boycott America', here's why I'm still taking my USA trip