Detained on arrival: Why US is no longer safe for tourists

Asia Times

11-04-2025

The United States is one of the top three most visited countries in the world. The big draw cards – cities such as San Francisco, New York and Chicago and national parks such as Yosemite – have attracted international tourists for decades. This combined with its role as a global business powerhouse meant it had 66.5 million visitors in 2023 – and the 2024 figure is expected to be higher still.
But a lot has changed in recent months, and 2025's figures may not be as strong. The 2024 reelection of Donald Trump as the president of the United States and the consequential changes in foreign diplomacy and relations, alongside internal cultural shifts, are starting to change global attitudes towards the US – attitudes that appear to be affecting tourists' desire to visit the US.
In a recent report by research firm Tourism Economics, inbound travel to the US is now projected to decline by 5.5% this year, instead of growing by nearly 9% as had previously been forecast. A further escalation in tariff and trade wars could result in further reductions in international tourism, which could amount to a US$18 billion annual reduction in tourist spending in 2025.
There is already some evidence of travel cancellations. Since Trump announced 25% tariffs on many Canadian goods, the number of Canadians driving across the border at some crossings has fallen by up to 45%, on some days, when compared to last year. Canada is the biggest source of international tourists to the US. Air Canada has announced it is reducing flights to some US holiday destinations, including Las Vegas, from March, as demand reduces.
According to a March poll by Canadian market researcher Leger, 36% of Canadians who had planned trips to the United States had already cancelled them. According to data from the aviation analytics company OAG, passenger bookings on Canada to US routes are down by over 70% compared to the same period last year.
This comes after the US Travel Association warned that even a 10% reduction in Canadian inbound travel could result in a US$2.1 billion loss in spending, putting 140,000 hospitality jobs at risk.
Some would-be visitors have cited an unwelcoming political climate as part of a concern about visiting the US – including angry rhetoric about foreigners, migrants and the LGBTQ+ community. The Tourism Economics report also cited 'polarizing Trump Administration policies and rhetoric' as a factor in travel cancellations.
There are other factors that may influence travellers from, for instance, western Europe, which represented 37% of overseas travel to the US last year. These include US tariffs pushing prices up at home and the US administration's perceived alignment with Russia in the war in Ukraine. Canadian trips to the US are going down.
Research by YouGov in March found that Western European attitudes towards the US have become more negative since Trump's reelection last November.
More than half of people in Britain (53%), Germany (56%), Sweden (63%) and Denmark (74%) now have an unfavorable opinion of the US. In five of the seven countries polled, figures for US favorability are at the lowest since polling began in November 2016.
Some high-profile cases at the US border could also be putting off tourists. In March, a British woman was handcuffed and detained for more than ten days by US Customs Enforcement after a visa problem.
In the same month, a Canadian tourist was detained after attempting to renew her visa at the US-Mexico border. During the 12-day detention, she was held in crowded jail cells and even put in chains.
Mexico is the US's second largest inbound travel market. Tourism Economics suggests that issues around new border enforcement rules will raise concerns with potential Mexican tourists. During Trump's first term in office, Mexican visits to the US fell by 3%. In February this year, air travel from Mexico had already fallen 6% when compared to 2024.
Many countries including Canada have been updating their travel advice for the US. For instance, on March 15 the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated its advice for the US, warning visitors that 'you may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.'
The previous version of the advice, from February, had no mention of arrest or detention. Germany has made similar updates to its travel advisory after several Germans were recently detained for weeks by US border officials.
Multiple European countries, including France, Germany, Denmark and Norway have also issued specific travel warnings to transgender and non-binary citizens, as US authorities demand tourists declare their biological sex at birth on visa applications.
This comes as the US has stopped issuing of passports with a X marker – commonly used by those identifying as non-binary – for its own citizens.
As thousands of travellers cancel their trips to the US, other destinations are seeing a spike in interest. Hotels in Bermuda have reported a surge in enquiries as Canadians relocate business and leisure trips away from the US, with some predicting a 20% increase in revenue from Canadian visits.
Europe, too, has reported increased bookings from Canada, with rental properties experiencing a 32% jump in summer reservations when compared to last year, according to some reports.
There are already growing concerns that visa and entry restrictions will disrupt fans and athletes from enjoying the 2026 men's Fifa World Cup, held on sites in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Visitors from some countries, such as Brazil, Turkey and Colombia, could wait up to 700 days to obtain visas. The International Olympic Committee has also raised concerns over the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, although US officials have insisted that 'America will be open.'
With mounting visa delays, stricter border enforcement and growing concerns over human rights and anti-minority rhetoric, the United States risks losing its appeal as a top holiday destination. The long-term impact on its tourism industry may prove difficult to reverse.
Ross Bennett-Cook is PhD researcher, Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.