I don’t care who leads a country when I travel, but the US is different

Who is the current chancellor of Germany? Honestly, I have no idea. I know it used to be Angela Merkel, but I would have to Google it to be sure who replaced her.

But then, I don’t know who the current prime minister of Spain is either. I would also have to Google to find out who’s in charge in Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico, South Africa, and plenty of other major nations.

President-elect Donald Trump celebrates his landslide victory with his wife Melania.Credit: Bloomberg

And yet, if you offered me an air ticket, I would visit any of those countries tomorrow. It really doesn’t matter to me who is in charge, what their political leanings are, what their specific policies are, who they impress, and who they enrage.

I know enough about most countries, particularly those above, to know I will enjoy my time there anyway, regardless of who happens to be holding the political reins at any given point in time. The specific leader of a stable, peaceful nation tends not to matter too much to short-term visitors.

So why is the US different?

You may have heard already, but the country is about to have a new leader. Donald Trump was last week elected president for the second time and will assume office in January next year.

Unlike pretty much every major tourism destination on Earth, this leadership change matters. Because the US is not a normal country, and Donald Trump is not a normal leader.

To put it bluntly, the US now risks becoming an outcast on the global tourism scene. That sounds bizarre, given we’re talking about what is truly one of the greatest nations on Earth to visit – with world-leading attractions that range from the natural world to pop culture to road trips to beer and wine – but a Trump presidency is surely not good for international tourism to the US.

Part of this has little to do with politics itself, or at least what potential visitors might think of Trump’s ideas. It has more to do with the very basics of tourism: i.e. how much is your holiday going to cost.

One of Trump’s key policies is introducing tariffs on imports. The actual proposed percentage of these tariffs seems to vary daily, but the basic idea is the same: introduce charges on imported products, particularly those from China.

International tourism will continue to decline if foreign currencies plummet further against the US dollar.Credit: iStock

People who are much smarter than me have discussed the likely knock-on effects of these tariffs on the US and the rest of the world.

In the short term, the price of anything imported into the US – including food and other products tourists tend to consume – will rise. In the long term, these tariffs are likely to strengthen the US dollar, which means a country that is already cripplingly expensive for many international travellers, including Australians, is going to become a whole lot pricier.

The US has already been suffering, probably thanks in part to an exchange rate that has been steadily worsening for Australian visitors. This August, according to the most recent available figures from the ABS, there were 56,330 short-term resident returns to Australia from the US. Ten years ago, that number was 76,530. In 2019, before COVID-19, it was 84,600.

Another of Trump’s stated policies is a reduction of firearms restrictions, which will seem absolutely wild to most people outside the country. There’s a plan for concealed carry reciprocity, which means if you can carry a concealed weapon in your home state, you will be able to do so anywhere in the US.

For potential visitors already concerned about the US’s rampant gun violence, that’s going to be another red flag.

And then there’s the Republicans’ “America First” policy agenda, including mass deportations of migrants, which doesn’t sound too friendly to incoming visitors.

But now let’s talk about the guy himself. Trump is a huge character, someone who is incredibly divisive, even outside the US. Pretty much everyone has a strong opinion of him and his potential effect on the world, and mostly, it’s not good.

Trump is very unpopular outside of the US. He’s widely disliked in Europe but also has few friends in Australia.

A poll conducted shortly before the US election found only 26 per cent of Australians would have voted for Trump if they could. Fifty per cent said they would have voted for his opponent, Kamala Harris, which is a huge gap.

Things start to get even more interesting when you break this poll down by gender: 36 per cent of Australian men said they would vote for Trump; only 17 per cent of women said they would.

Trump is hugely unpopular among women. And who do you think makes the decisions on spending and travel in Australian homes? According to a recent survey commissioned by Wise, it’s women: 70 per cent of travel decisions and payments are made by women.

So where are you going on holiday? Germany, Spain, Thailand, South Africa, where you don’t know who the leader is and really don’t care?

Or Trump’s America?