Data shows that tourists from countries which have been hit hard by Donald Trump’s tariffs are avoiding visiting the United States on their holidays.
Hotel search site Trivago says it has seen double-digit percentage declines in the numbers of bookings to the US from holidaymakers in countries such as Canada, Mexico and Japan.
For Canadians in particular, US president Trump’s rhetoric around the country becoming America’s 51st state has stood out as a major repellent.
Trivago reports that German demand for US hotel bookings was “down heavily”. Germany is the biggest economy in Europe.
It comes as Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs, with the most recent threat of 50 per cent on all goods coming into the US from the European Union, which he says he has paused for now.
In March, Trump unveiled his plans for sweeping tariffs that were due to be placed on almost every country in the world, sending the global economy into turmoil. He later U-turned by announcing a 90-day pause in order for negotiations to take place.
“Personally, as a European, I planned a big two week theme park trip to Florida this year but with the current Trump regime we’re not feeling welcome in the US at the time being so we cancelled everything and rescheduled our Trip to Japan,” one person said on social media.
Someone else said: “We [Canadians] have been snowbirds in Florida for 12 years. We cancelled for our two month trip this year, Trump yapping about us being a 51st state has really pi**ed us off.
“I know of [eight Canadian] couples that we meet up with each year, also chose to stay out of the US.”
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Another wrote: “Our month-long trip to the US was cancelled in 2021 due to Covid. But we wouldn’t come now if you paid us.”
One Canadian person said: “Cancelled my US trip and went to Italy instead. I don’t care about exchange rates. Threatening our sovereignty so screw them.”
The so-called “Trump slump” has been felt by businesses operating in America’s $2.6tn tourism industry, as people are concerned over issues such as the economy and hostile immigration.
The US federal government’s own National Travel and Tourism Office revealed that in March, visits to the US from overseas fell by 11.6 per cent on the previous year, according to preliminary figures.
“In times of uncertainty, people stay closer to home,” Johannes Thomas, chief executive of Trivago, said.
It could have huge impacts on the US economy. A recent study claimed that the US could love $2.3 billion in GDP and lost 230,000 jobs is foreign tourists stay away [via Fortune].
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