New data shows how many tourists are abandoning US travel plans
It started with Canadians cancelling their trips south of the border. Now animosity towards the US administration has more travellers rethinking their plans.
On a trip to Canada back in February, I gently tried to read the room on Trump, tariffs and the idea of becoming the 51st US state. It turned out the room didn’t need reading. It was shouting back a hard “no”. Overwhelmingly, and unsurprisingly, Canadians were united in their opposition to trade barriers and the US President’s geopolitical manoeuvres. They were boycotting US-made products at supermarkets and cancelling holidays south of the border.
After the impost of tariffs and the subsequent meltdown on global markets in the past week, ill-feeling towards the US administration is spreading further into the travel sphere.
America was already an expensive holiday destination, given the weakness of the Aussie dollar and the need to tip 15-20 per cent on the simplest of transactions. This week our dollar slipped below US60c for the first time since the pandemic, making the idea of a vacation in the Land of the Free seem even less liberating.
It’s estimated travel to the US will decline almost 10 per cent this year
Then there’s the detention and deportation of several foreigners from “low-risk countries” trying to enter the US, often with perfectly valid reasons and paperwork. Even our government’s SmartTraveller website has updated its advice: “Entry requirements are strict. US authorities have broad powers to decide if you’re eligible to enter and may determine that you are inadmissable for any reason under US law.” It seems Trump’s tough talk on immigration and border control has filled security officials with renewed enthusiasm for their job.
Put it all together and America is suddenly on the nose as a holiday destination. Globally, it’s estimated travel to the US will decline almost 10 per cent this year. For travel from Canada, that figure is closer to 20 per cent, according to forecaster Tourism Economics. Given Canada and Mexico account for about half of inbound travel to the US, with China, India and Japan also strong performers, the backlash could be fierce.
In fact, the latest ABS figures, released on Friday, reveal the US has slipped to eighth place in the list of Australia’s most visited overseas destinations in February. We can only imagine what that figure might be for April. Prior to Covid, the US was in the top three. Even China is in the top five for February, along with Indonesia, Japan and India, with New Zealand at No 1.
I’ve never been convinced that issues such as politics or human rights should be the sole deciding factor when choosing whether or not to visit a country. Scratch beneath the surface of most destinations and you’ll find a reason not to go, but at the moment the US certainly has an image problem.
Should Australians be going to the US on holiday? Leave your comments below.
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