Latest news with #MatthewJackson
CBS News
12 hours ago
- Climate
- CBS News
128 million Americans under heat advisories as scorching temperatures break records
About 128 million Americans from Louisiana to Maine are under heat advisories Wednesday amid a severe heat wave impacting much of the U.S. But some are expected to get some relief starting Thursday. Dozens of record high temperatures were set Tuesday across the Northeast. Triple-digit temperatures hit tourists and New Yorkers alike on Tuesday as Central Park set a record high temperature for June 24 of 99 degrees. "It feels like an armpit out here," New York personal trainer Marvin Martinez said. A couple visiting New York City from Georgia said they shortened their sightseeing, taking frequent breaks at their hotel. A young girl said she was trying to stay cool by turning up the air conditioning and "going into different stores to get more AC." Boston broke its record daily high by six degrees, reaching 101 degrees on Tuesday. Some construction workers were forced to leave their jobs early. In Norfolk, Massachusetts, two firefighters were hospitalized for heat exhaustion after battling a house fire. Farther south in Charlotte, North Carolina, fans hoping to enjoy a club World Cup soccer match were faced with a different opponent — the sweltering sun. "You just gotta grin and bear it and deal with it and stay hydrated," said Matthew Jackson, a Florida resident at the match. The Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, issued a "Black Flag Warning," canceling all non-essential outdoor physical activity. It felt like 103 degrees in the area Tuesday. And the excessive heat is creating a strain on the power grid. Tens of thousands of people were without electricity on Tuesday. Future forecast CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said temperatures are expected to be 10-20 degrees above average Wednesday before a cold front brings some relief to the Northeast. The cold front will bring a chance of severe storms. The Southeast is expected to continue to see above-average temperatures Thursday. High temperature forecast for Wednesday, June 25. CBS News Map shows storms in the forecast for Wednesday, June 25. CBS News High temperature forecast for Thursday, June 26. CBS News Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Scotsman
25-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Scotland's holiday season opens up - and Trump ripples are being felt
The US has long been Scotland's key international tourist market but visitors appear to be more reluctant to travel given political and economic uncertainties at home Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... They are richer, older and generally stay in Scotland for longer and for years they have been the bedrock of Scotland's international tourist industry. For tens of thousands of US tourists a year, Scotland has felt like home with the threads of history and ancestry long pulling visitors across the Atlantic - as well as the hallowed game of golf. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But as the sun rises on the 2025 tourist season, there appears to be one trend emerging across Scotland - the apparent drop in number of those visiting from the United States. The season may be in its early days, but it is being felt on the ground that numbers of American tourists have weakened - with the political and economic uncertainty in their home country cited as the cause. Matthew Jackson, Property Director at the Sonas Hotel Collection, which includes Skeabost House on Skye and Knipoch House near Oban in its portfolio, said bookings 'were steady' going into the new season but 'not the same pattern as what we would have expected'. He added: 'We normally would have had a lot more Americans booking in advance, so the middle of the year is a little bit patchy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Everyone seems busy enough, but I think what we have to realise is that the strength of tourism is the world market so what happens in other countries always has an impact on bookings, specifically bookings from overseas. 'Americans don't have a lot of holidays so they book way in advance But certainly coming up to their elections, you saw that start to fall off. Potentially, and I am just guessing here, that kind of delay is what is affecting this year's market. 'We still have lots of Americans, but it is not as strong as it has been in the last few years.' Matthew Jackson, of Sonas Hospitality, which runs hotels across Skye and Oban, said "visitor patterns" on the island were different to this time last year, with fewer bookings from the US market. PIC: Contributed. | contributed Numbers of US tourists to Scotland in recent years have been exceptional, with the latest available data from Office of National Statistics' International Passenger Survey showing that 459,400 visitors arrived in the first six months of 2024 - a 46 per cent increase on the same period the year before. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad US President Donald Trump plays golf at his Turnberry course in 2023. The policies of the US Government - and rhetoric around them - are reportedly harming tourism in America and making Americans think twice about travelling. PIC: Getty / Robert Perry. | Getty Images They spent a total of £560.1 million during the six month period - far higher than any other group - with their holiday funds 26 per cent higher than the year before. But as President Trump and his inner circle upend policy and create chaos around the globe and citizens grapple with tighter cost of living, inflation rises, public sector job losses and the fall out from rhetoric surrounding new trade tariffs, appetite for travel among its people may well indeed have been shaken - as well as their perception of how they are viewed overseas. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chris Greenwood, senior researcher for the Moffat Centre for Tourist Research at Glasgow Caledonian University, said figures for US travel to Scotland last year had been 'phenomenal'- but that change was predicted. While it was unclear whether current visitor patterns were being measured against last year's figures or data collected back in 2019, the last typical year before the pandemic, Mr Greenwood said he expected US travellers to trail off in the second half of this year. He said: 'The situation surrounding the US market specifically is obviously one of uncertainty in terms of household income and cost pressures. 'So I would say for the first half of this year, any US visitors would have booked say summer last year. We are still going to get this legacy kind of travel coming in. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The second half of the year, I would expect it to get quieter.' The United States is Scotland's largest international source market measured by number of visits, nights and spend. READ MORE: Travel experts warns of Trump ripple effect on global tourism In 2023, US visitors accounted for 20 per cent of all overseas trips to Scotland and 34 per cent of all overseas spend in Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He added: 'It is a hugely significant market. The US market tends to be more wealthy and more immune to those household pressures. That said, we could see a drop in spending. 'So we are maybe looking at fewer tourists and less spend and I imagine they will be concentrating on fewer areas, such as Edinburgh and Inverness and places like that. 'I think travel may be driven by the ancestral market a lot more so travel would be for very specific reasons, rather than general.' Mr Greenwood said the perception of how Americans are viewed around the world could also be undermining a willingness to travel overseas. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He added: 'The US market has , traditionally, as global travellers, been very sensitive to how they are received and perceived abroad. They feel uncomfortable in places where they feel they won't get a warmth in welcome.' However, this could work in Scotland's favour, he added. 'There may be this misplaced idea of perhaps 'maybe we won't go to Europe because they don't like us' but that could mean that Scotland is a net beneficiary as it is seen as more friendly and accepting,' Mr Greenwood said. This week, it was reported that the tourism sector in the United States is also suffering in light of the presidency of Donald Trump, with a fall in inbound tourist traffic leading to a projected loss of more than $10bn in international tourism revenue this year when compared to last, from from $181bn to $169bn. The downturn has been driven by a 'steep decline' in global traveller confidence given tightened visa restrictions, stricter immigration enforcement, and the rising strength of the U.S. dollar, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ongoing diplomatic tensions, unfavourable rhetoric and trade disagreements have also discouraged inbound tourism, the organisation said. Canada, the largest source of international arrivals to the US, is showing a notable drop in interest, with early summer bookings down over 20 per cent year-on-year. Mr Greenwood added the fall in visitors to the US could also benefit Scotland. He added: ' In a declining market, Scotland may be a net beneficiary of that displacement. We could still see a decline in US visitors, but perhaps not as bad as other places. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Scotland could be a net beneficiary of visitors from Canada and from Europe as they avoid going to the US.' Chris Greenwood, senior research fellow of the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University. | Chris Watt Photography In an article, Visit Scotland said it was 'important' that booking trends from the US continued to be monitored and adapted to 'shifting consumer behaviour' in the face of 'changing global circumstances'. 'Scotland's tourism industry will need to remain agile to attract and retain North American visitors in an increasingly complex global landscape,' it said. A 'concerted effort' was now underway to engage with Canadian audiences. with a new direct Air Canada flight from Montreal to Edinburgh due to open on June 26. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The article added: 'As the global travel market continues to evolve, Canada presents an exciting opportunity for Scotland. Although too early to draw firm conclusions, Canadian travellers are keen to explore destinations outside of their home country, which provides an opportunity for Scotland to position itself as an attractive alternative destination.' Rubers Law in the Scottish Borders. The south of Scotland is growing its tourist numbers - with the American market seen as key to its success. PIC: Duncan Ireland/South of Scotland Destination Alliance. | Duncan Ireland Of the new Air Canada service into Edinburgh , it added: 'This route will provide a much-needed direct connection, making travel to Scotland more convenient and accessible for Canadian visitors. To capitalise on this new flight, a concerted effort is underway to engage with Canadian audiences and travel professionals alike.' Meanwhile, JetBlue has launched its first non-stop flight from Boston to Edinburgh, with VisitScotland highlighting airline seat capacity from US into Scotland was now up 31 per cent on 2024 figures. The demand for the new flights from Boston will be of key interest to Visit Scotland and tourist leaders across Scotland, including David Hope-Jones of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The group represents decision makers and businesses across Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway and has an aim to boost tourist revenue across the south of the country by £1bn to £1.7bn by 2034. Tourism-related jobs are set to rise from 13,000 to 20,000 to 2034 under the alliance's goals. There have been some impressive early successes, with a 20 per cent rise in revenues reported in the past year, but key to the long term success is tapping into the wealthy US market. David Hope-Jones, CEO of South of Scotland Destination Alliance, said the US market was key to increasing tourism revenue in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway. PIC: Contributed. | contributed Mr Hope-Jones said: 'Only six per cent of visitors to the south of Scotland are international, compared to the 23 per cent average. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'That matters because the European self-drive market spends twice as much per day as a domestic visitor and the North American market spends four times as much as your domestic visitor. 'So if we are going to get that extra billion pounds in ways that don't exceed our infrastructure, we need to through the summer months get the price point up and get the international market up. 'It is challenging and obviously in the chapter of Trump 2.0, there is complicated geo-politics in this.' The area's history and heritage - from tartan to tweed and Robbie Burns to the Romans will be leveraged to draw the US market. Emigration will be a key focus of the work. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Hope-Jones pointed to the 25 million North Americans 'right now who identify as being of Scots Irish descent.' He added: 'They spend disproportionately when they come to Scotland as them come with a sense of belonging and nostalgia 'Most of that 25m think they come from the Highlands but the honest truth is that almost all of them came from the Lowlands. The story of emigration from Scotland to North America is also a Lowland story. 'That is one example - how do we better capitalise that story of emigration from Scotland to the New World? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said that some 'pretty major propostions' were being developed to create a 'significant national visitor attraction' to tell the story of emigration from the south west of Scotland to the New World, with a site at Stranraer a potential location.
