Travel groups respond to Trump's travel ban on 12 countries

Travel Weekly

20 hours ago

ASTA on June 5 warned that travel bans like the one President Trump will enact next week send a "ripple effect" through the economy and negatively impact travel.
Citing concerns about national security, President Trump on June 4 issued an order banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S. and restricting visitors from seven more. The ban takes effect June 9 at 12:01 a.m.
The executive order, which primarily targets nations in Africa and the Middle East, reprises the travel ban concept from Trump's first term. And it makes good on an order signed by Trump in January at the start of his second term that directed federal agencies to look for countries that might present a security threat to the U.S.
The ban applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, although there are a handful of carveouts for citizens with dual citizenship or legal residency in the U.S., some athletes, some refugees and some people who have worked for the U.S. government.
It also restricts entry for travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who do not hold a valid visa.
In this most recent order, Trump said its purpose was to protect U.S. citizens "from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes."
ASTA's response to the travel ban
In response to the ban, ASTA CEO Zane Kerby said while it understands the administration's concerns, such travel bans to tend adversely impact travel.
"Safe, secure and open travel are foundational to our world," Kerby said. "When governments impose restrictions that limit access and movement, it doesn't simply affect individual travelers -- it sends a ripple effect through global commerce, frays diplomatic relations and, most importantly, opposes the very spirit of what travel represents.
"We encourage policymakers to seek solutions that balance security with the fundamental rewards of travel: understanding, exchange and economic growth."
Kerby also said that ASTA recognized that overstaying visas and vetting citizens was a problem and hoped the countries involved in the travel ban work with the U.S. to address those concerns so that travel can resume.
The executive order specifies that factors considered in applying the ban include visa-overstay rates; those countries' terrorist presence within its territory; screening and vetting capabilities; information sharing policies; and cooperation accepting back its removable nationals.
U.S. Travel chimes in
On Friday, the U.S. Travel Association said that the travel industry "supports policies that make the United States both secure and welcoming."
"In some instances, this is a challenging balance to achieve, and we respect the administration's efforts," it added. "While the countries currently affected by the recent policy announcement represent 0.5% of annual visitors, we are focused on driving millions of new visitors and strengthening our economy by solving longtime shortcomings with visas, customs, and an outdated air traffic control system.
U.S. Travel has previously said that any restrictions on travel should come with a message of welcome.
"It is vital to balance any discussions on potential travel restrictions through the lens of both national security and preserving America's reputation as a welcoming destination," a U.S. Travel spokesperson said in January. "Policies that potentially restrain visitation should be temporary and focused solely on ensuring security while minimizing disruption to lawful travel."
This report, with updated information, replaces a previous report by the Associated Press, which can be found here. It was updated June 6 with a statement from the U.S. Travel Association.