Fewer Spaniards visiting U.S. over Trump's policies, says tourism expert
BARCELONA, Spain, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Catiana Tur, manager of the Corporate Association of Specialized Travel Agencies (ACAVE), attributed the recent decline in the number of Spaniards visiting the United States (U.S.) partly to the political uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump's policies.
According to Tur, who represents one of Spain's leading tourism organizations comprising 450 travel agencies, the aggressive stance of the U.S. administration is prompting many travelers to opt for alternative holiday destinations.
"Tourism is highly sensitive to any news, and the news we're seeing daily in the press appears to be contributing to a noticeable decline in travel to the United States," she told Xinhua on Wednesday.
In a report on the Easter holiday at the end of last month, the Spanish tourism board (Mesa del Turismo) estimated that trips by Spaniards to the United States dropped by 15 percent due to the geopolitical situation, despite the favorable euro-dollar exchange rate for European tourists.
Tur emphasized that while news related to a specific destination can influence travelers' choices, "it's important to note that people are still traveling - they're just choosing other destinations."
The Mesa del Turismo noted that while traditional European capitals remained the most visited international destinations by Spaniards over Easter, emerging markets such as Colombia and Mexico in Latin America, and China, Japan, and South Korea in Asia, are gaining popularity.
"Asian destinations have experienced some of the highest growth over the past year. There is a growing preference among Spanish travelers to visit these countries, and it's also worth noting that air connectivity with Asia has improved significantly," Tur said.
According to a recent survey by the holiday commerce platform SiteMinder, approximately 70 percent of Spaniards said they plan to travel abroad in 2025 - a seven-point increase compared to the previous year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
United States and China begin high-level key trade talks in London
(FILES) This file handout photograph released by The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs or Swiss Foreign Ministry (FDFA) on May 14, 2025 shows China's Vice Premier He Lifeng (R) gesturing next to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent prior to a meeting to discuss trade relations and tariffs, in Geneva, on May 10, 2025. China and the United States began a new round of trade talks in London on June 9, 2025 Beijing's state media reported, as the world's two biggest economies seek to shore up a shaky truce after bruising tit-for-tat tariffs. The two sides are meeting in the historic Lancaster House, run by the UK Foreign Office, following a first round of talks in Geneva last month. -- AFP LONDON (AFP): China and the United States began a new round of trade talks in London on Monday, Beijing's state media reported, as the world's two biggest economies seek to shore up a shaky truce after bruising tit-for-tat tariffs. The two sides are meeting in the historic Lancaster House, run by the UK Foreign Office, following a first round of talks in Geneva last month. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng was again heading the team in London. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported the start of the talks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are leading the US delegation, President Donald Trump said Friday. "The meeting should go very well," Trump said on his Truth Social platform. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told Fox News on Sunday: "We want China and the United States to continue moving forward with the agreement that was struck in Geneva." While the UK government reiterated that it was not involved in the discussions, a spokesperson said: "We are a nation that champions free trade." UK authorities "have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody's interests, so we welcome these talks", the spokesperson added. - Rare earths - The talks in London come just a few days after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping finally held their first publicly announced telephone talks since the Republican returned to the White House. Trump said Thursday's call reached a "very positive conclusion". Xi was quoted by Xinhua as saying "correcting the course of the big ship of Sino-US relations requires us to steer well and set the direction". Tensions between the two nations have soared, with Trump accusing Beijing of violating a tariff de-escalation deal reached in Geneva in mid-May. "We need China to comply with their side of the deal. And so that's what the trade team will be discussing tomorrow," Leavitt said Sunday. A key issue will be Beijing's shipments of rare earths -- crucial to a range of goods including electric vehicle batteries and which have been a bone of contention for some time. "Rare earth shipments from China to the US have slowed since President Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at trading group XTB. "The US wants these shipments to be reinstated, while China wants the US to rethink immigration curbs on students, restrictions on access to advanced technology including microchips, and to make it easier for Chinese tech providers to access US consumers," she added. In April, Trump introduced sweeping worldwide tariffs that targeted China most heavily. At one point, Washington hit Beijing with additional levies of 145 percent on its goods, triggering a tit-for-tat escalation as China's countermeasures on US goods reached 125 percent. In Switzerland, after two days of talks, the two sides agreed to slash their staggeringly high tariffs for 90 days. But differences have persisted, including over China's restrictions on exporting rare earth minerals. The impact was reflected in the latest official export data released Monday in Beijing. Exports to the United States fell 12.7 percent in May from the previous month, with China shipping $28.8 billion worth of goods. This was down from $33 billion in April, according to Beijing's General Administration of Customs. - 'Green channel' - Throughout its talks with Washington, China has also launched discussions with other trading partners -- including Japan and South Korea -- to try to build a united front to counter Trump's tariffs. On Thursday, Beijing and Canada agreed to regularise their channels of communication after strained ties. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese Premier Li Qiang also discussed trade and the fentanyl crisis, Ottawa said. Beijing has also proposed establishing a "green channel" to ease exports of rare earths to the European Union, and fast-tracking approval of some export licenses. China is expected to host a summit with the EU in July, marking 50 years since Beijing and Brussels established diplomatic ties. - AFP
Malaysian Reserve
3 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
UK's AI talent is envy of world and needs support, Nvidia CEO says
NVIDIA Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang described the UK's artificial intelligence talent as the 'envy of the world,' specifically calling out its researchers, universities and startups. But he said the country needs to more infrastructure to unlock their potential. 'The UK is in a Goldilocks circumstance' with good conditions for AI companies to thrive, Huang said in a conversation with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the start of London Tech Week on Monday. 'This is the largest AI ecosystem in the world without its own infrastructure.' The type of AI models powering generative tools such as ChatGPT require a tremendous amount of so-called compute capacity from massive data centers to both build and process the inquiries from millions of users around the world. Those data centers in turn need abundant electricity, water and other infrastructure. In an acknowledgment of the support required, Starmer announced on Monday an extra £1 billion ($1.4 billion) of funding to 'scale up our compute power by a factor of 20' and improve infrastructure for building out artificial intelligence in the UK. The government also announced a partnership with Nvidia to help train more people in AI skills and expand research. Europe has struggled to compete with the US and China in producing groundbreaking generative AI companies and spurring as much data center development as its rivals. Huang is touring the continent this week, where he's described 'umpteen AI factories being planned' in the region. He is also expected to speak at Paris's VivaTech on Wednesday and will be visiting and meeting with leaders in the UK, Germany, France and Belgium. 'The thing that is quite extraordinary and is an incredible opportunity for the UK: AI is a technology, but is also an infrastructure because it affects so many industries simultaneously,' Huang said. 'Because this technology is so broad and so transformative to every single industry, it will be considered infrastructure just as electricity was.' The UK's Financial Conduct Authority also announced on Monday that it was setting up a so-called regulatory sandbox to allow financial firms to experiment with AI using Nvidia's technology. These sandboxes let firms with new ideas at the intersection of finance and technology test their products and services before fully launching them. Liquidity, a startup lender, will also set up a European headquarters in London and has committed to investing £1.5 billion in companies in the next five years. –BLOOMBERG
Focus Malaysia
4 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Renewed US-China trade talks fuel market optimism
AHEAD of the key US non-farm payrolls data, most Asian markets closed mixed as investors assessed the potential impact of the Trump-Musk fallout on the US economy. Sentiment remained cautious, with market participants awaiting further signals from ongoing trade negotiations between the US and its major trading partners, seen as pivotal to revitalising the slowing global economy. The Dow climbed 443 points to 42,762, buoyed by stronger-than-expected May nonfarm payrolls, which helped ease recession concerns. Optimism was further lifted by Trump's announcement of renewed US-China trade talks on 9 June, raising hopes for a potential breakthrough. In tandem with the mixed regional markets and persistent foreign net outflows, the KLCI lost 1.3 points to 1,516.8 (+8.5 points WoW) after rising 14.8 points in two days. Foreign investors turned net sellers for a 3 rd consecutive week alongside local retailers. Meanwhile, local institutions emerged as net buyers for a third straight week. With technical indicators showing signs of recovery, the KLCI is poised to challenge the 1,519 level. A breakout could pave the way towards 1,534 (30-day MA), 1,539 (23.6% FR), and stronger resistance at 1,558 (30-week MA). Following a constructive Trump-Xi call last week and the start of the second round of US-China trade talks in London today, the KLCI may continue to trend sideways with an upward bias. That said, broader market sentiment remains cautious amid persistent foreign outflows, pending clarity on the US-Malaysia tariff deal, and June's historically weak seasonality (10Y/20Y average returns: -1.3%/-0.4%). Concerns are further amplified by a weakening global trade environment, ongoing macroeconomic headwinds, the Trump administration's unpredictable trade stance, and the potential for domestic subsidy rationalisation in the second half of 2025, all of which may cloud Malaysia's growth and earnings outlook. —June 9, 2025 Main image: Getty Images
