Some tourists are avoiding Trump’s America, but we aren’t

When Traveller columnist Ben Groundwater wrote a piece earlier this year, saying that the Trump administration would not stop him from visiting the US, he received an overwhelming response.

Of the record 525 comments on Groundwater’s column, the vast majority took the opposite view. Not only were many of the readers critical of the idea of visiting the US under president Trump, many were critical of Groundwater for even suggesting it.

Despite horror stories of Australians being turned back at the border, we’re still visiting the US in increasing numbers.Credit: AP

At a time when visitor numbers to the US from various other countries are reportedly plummeting, then, it might come as a surprise to see that Australians are not only continuing to visit, are actually going there in greater numbers than before Trump’s election.

The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that, in May, the number of Australian residents returning from short trips to the US was a little over 69,000 – an increase of more than 5000, or about 8 per cent, on the same time last year. What’s more, the numbers were up in every key category – those travelling a holiday (up 12 per cent compared with last year); visiting friends or relatives (up 15 per cent) or for business (up 8 per cent).

It’s true that the numbers for April showed a decline in Australian visitors, year-on-year, for the first time since borders reopened after the pandemic, but so far that amounts to a blip, not a trend. Overall this year the number of Australians visiting the US is up about 3 per cent and in May the US was our fourth most-visited country, behind only Indonesia, New Zealand and Japan.

The number of Australians heading to the US still remains below pre-COVID levels, one of only two countries in our top 10 to have not surpassed 2019’s numbers (New Zealand is the other one), but this might indicate that the strength of the US dollar has been a bigger factor in deterring visitors than any political issues.

Aircraft parked at Los Angeles International Airport. While Australians are still heading to the US in increasing numbers, some other nationalities, including South Koreans and Germans, are staying away.Credit: Getty Images

Australians have long been a sought-after market for US tourist destinations. We are among the top 10 sources of visitors and tend to stay longer and spend more money than tourists from other countries.

And it seems we are continuing to go there in droves. This comes even as a series of horror stories are reported about Australians and others being denied entry to the US for seemingly arbitrary reasons.

Meanwhile, other visitors from other countries aren’t so enthusiastic. The number of Canadians visiting the US – the biggest country’s biggest market for international visitors – has plummeted more than 14 per cent, according to the US International Trade Administration, with almost a million fewer Canadians so far in 2025 compared to last year. Visitors from other countries, such as China, South Korea and Germany, have also declined.

As for the Trump administration, they don’t seem to give a hoot whether foreign tourists come or not. How else to explain the gutting of the country’s peak tourism body, Brand USA? Created through funds generated largely out of ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) visitor entry fees, Trump’s “big beautiful bill” cut the organisation’s funding by 80 per cent, from $US100 million ($153 million) to just $US20 million. Trump had already sacked five of Brand USA’s 11 board members prior to the budget cut. That suggests the administration has little interest in promoting the US as a tourist destination.

And speaking of ESTAs, that same bill contains a plan to almost double the cost of the entry fee, from $US21 to $US40. And if you’re someone that actually needs a visa to visit, you might face an additional $US250 “Visa Integrity Fee” (reportedly refundable if you leave the country immediately after the visa expires).

It’s ironic that a president whose name was previously synonymous with hotels seems to show little regard for the tourism industry.

But if we feel like president Trump doesn’t care about how his administration’s policies might impact perceptions of prospective visitors to the US, perhaps he’s looking at the number of visitors from Australia. Because it seems we don’t care too much, either.

The top 10 destinations for Australians in May 2025

1. Indonesia
2. New Zealand
3. Japan
4. USA
5. China
6. Thailand
7. UK
8. Vietnam
9. India
10. Fiji

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics