Travelers Avoiding the U.S.

Not really.

Claudia:
Do you mean you haven’t heard about this, or you haven’t noticed it where you live?

Meant I’m not surprised. I’ll be in Yosemite in a couple of weeks. I’ll compare it to last years sojourn and let you know.

I don’t go where tourists go in Hollywood. Was at the Hollywood Sunday Farmers Market yesterday morning. Same size of crowd.

It will be interesting to look at the numbers after the summer vacation period is over to see what impact the boycotts actually had, or if it is, as some on this forum claim, no big deal.

I know people who have canceled. One was a keynote speaker for a science conference.

The article says it expected 800,000 jobs to be added in the tourism sector, but who is going to do the cooking, dishwashing, bedmaking, gardening?

The same thing was reported in the news in the Netherlands and Belgium last week. Not based on the opinion of the reporting news media, but based on figures provided by the associations of travel agents who actually see bookings to the USA drop significantly.

I really enjoyed travelling to Europe during COVID when everyone stayed home and it looks like I might have another opportunity. Perhaps this would be a good time to take a road trip and visit the national parks in my own country if it's going to be a time of reduced crowds. Not often you get these opportunities. Can't do much about other's decisions or the reason for their decision, but nothing says I need to stay home and be upset.

Yes it was nice traveling when things opened up in 2021 without the large group crowds; this will be good time to travel in the USA this year since less coming from abroad; hopefully there will be some deals. I was saving the USA travel for my old age and just doing far flung bucket list places, but will do it now. It all balances out in the long run.

So, what percentage of US tourism is from overseas? US tourism in Europe is about 10% of European tourism, so if 20% of us stay away from Europe is it even noticeable? If 20% of the world stays away from the US, is it noticeable?

And of course, if people do stay away from the US, it's in part due to the news media Self-fulfilling prophecy.

Personally, I've never considered the US as an important vacation destination for British people anyway. I'm not sure what the figures are though. Now, if Spain were to fall to a fascist regime again, that would be a big deal for tourism. That said, Spain built the foundations of its tourist industry under Franco so maybe it's possible to continue under such a regime. It's maybe not the best comparison as the US has a much greater global impact with its foreign (and domestic) policy than Franco's Spain ever did.

If I already paid for two weeks in Orlando this summer I'd probably grit my teeth and continue. I wouldn't plan anything any further ahead than that though, and probably cancel for this summer if there wasn't any chance of losing something I already paid for.

I think they are staying away to avoid Snow White.

Data shared in Canada indicates bookings for travel later in the year is dropping 50+%. Many many had spring break bookings that weren’t easily cancelled without losing money. I have family going to Hawaii on Wednesday and that is their situation. They are already planning trips to Europe for the foreseeable future.

There are Canadians who work in the US in border towns so there will always be provincial licence plates in evidence. However, data on border crossings shows a significant decline by Canadians in the past 6 weeks. And no, it isn’t just the exchange rate; we have lived with that for decades, sometimes better, sometimes worse.

I'm in the UK (Scotland specifically) with people I know. Their travel plans to visit the US the last time I spoke to them have changed and they are avoiding the US.

One person, of Indian decent, said she will now never travel to the US because,as she said, "I'm brown."

It's sad .

Frank II, should I call my kids and tell them to get out of the US ASAP.? (I have a very "brown" family).

A number of Canadian friends were planning to visit California this spring. They have all changed their plans due to the toxic political and immigration situation. Instead, I will be going to Canada.
Part of the attraction of traveling anywhere is to get away to a place that will fulfill the desire to explore in a safe environment.
How can you do that when you have to be concerned about being harassed —or worse—upon entering the country you’re visiting. And who wants to shell out thousands of dollars to go somewhere where they are going to be worried in any way about what might happen to them?

If this keeps up, the U.S. will be radioactive to much of the free world.

I, myself, have cancelled a planned trip that was supposed to happen later this month, and I am also not going to an annual event in October that I have gone to numerous times. Four of my friends are also not attending.

Reports in Canada is that Canadian travel bookings to the US have dropped by almost 70%. I actually don't know anyone who wants to go there anytime soon.

“Now is the time to choose Canada,” to quote Justin Trudeau.

People don’t need the media to decide they don’t want to travel to and contribute to the economy of a country that threatens to invade them.

I know it’s not what some people on this board want to hear, but I definitely notice a change in the mood and attitude towards the USA. It went from being surprised and feeling sorry for you guys that you’re stuck with him for another 4 years to genuine concern and anger about statements and threats made by the highest ranking US officials about Europe in general and some countries specifically.
Yes, we know that not everyone in the USA voted for him, but we also know that most of the voters did in fact vote for him.

The situation is obviously different for Canadians, but for Europeans going to the US is a fairly big investment in time and money, long haul flights to a HCOL economy etc.. For that same investment we can go to a lot other places in the world and when comparing the pros and cons of a destination the balance has shifted.

I'd guess the number of people who truly boycott the US to be quite small but I think they'll be a fair few deciding to save the US for another time and try out Jamaica or Thailand or Japan instead this time around. Hey, Canada's been in the news more than usual lately even!

Hey, Canada's been in the news more than usual lately even!

Which I really like. I mean, I would have preferred a different reason, of course.
I've always thought it's a shame that Canada and Australia are so rarely featured in German news coverage.

Has much changed in relation to tourism in the US since Trump took office?
For instance the National Parks. We heard over here in Oz that the Musk fella sacked a lot of the NP staff. Would that impact tourists visiting them?

The boycott is definitely on in Canada. While it's partly about safety concerns, it's largely about the threat against our sovereignty.

I'm supposed to attend my niece's wedding in October in Florida. I don't need the family drama if I don't go. Yet I'm truly considering forfeiting the non refundable tickets And my phone of full of pro-Canada Sovereignty stuff and union supporting stuff...

One thing is certain a lot fewer people without visas to enter the USA are NOT getting in NOW that our borders are secure.

It's impossible to ignore the similarities of the US with Russia and no one is traveling there.

I've cancelled my Trip to Denver this summer and will spend money locally instead. Maybe on a new hat. https://ehcanada.net/product/make-america-go-away-maga-baseball-cap/ I've read that Greenland and Denmark also have versions of this trendy new attire.

If you follow Rick in Facebook, he posted this last week. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/12FaxqkFdiL/

I know a few fellow Canadians who have now cancelled plans to travel to the u.s.
I have not been there for ten years.
I don’t know anyone here at home now who wants to go there at the moment, and will not go for the foreseeable future.
It’s all very sad , but could have been avoided if events had ended in a different way back in November last year.
I’m glad I saw places like NYC, the Grand Canyon, the redwood forests, etc when I did, as I feel those are lost to us now in terms of traveling there safely.

We are still your neighbours and will be again after the madness and the mad men are removed.

We still welcome you to come and visit us up here in the North!

It would be nice to say maybe I'll visit the national parks in the US this year, but will the bathrooms be cleaned? Will the lines to get in be monumental? There have been significant staff cuts, ya know?

We just flew back from London yesterday. I've flown from overseas into O'hare at least 15 times. I've never seen the visitors section at passport control look so empty. They kept having people in the US citizens/permanent residents line go over to be helped by an available agent in the section for visitors.

I just chatted with the administrative assistant at my office. Her partner is from Spain and her partner's extended family is still in Spain. The extended family - parents, siblings, cousins - had already booked a trip to Los Angeles for later this year but have cancelled and will be going somewhere else. Not because of any 'hatred' per se, but because the fear of some visa error or similar landing someone in their group in ICE detention. It's not worth it to them to take a chance.

S J - thanks for the welcome. We are coming to Canada in early May.

FYI: The evening news in France yesterday, April 2nd, announced that French travel to the US was in free fall, except for NY.

I spent the last two weeks in Germany, overall, I was a bit surprised I did not hear much regarding US politics. To a degree, I expected that, since people in the tourism and service industries are not really going to comment to you, and Germans are not the culture to chit chat with strangers on the street, besides a greeting, however, share a table in a beer hall, then conversation flows.

It was only near the end that we got a couple questions, and a couple people did indicate that while they do visit the US, or have Family there they visit, they won't now. Finished my trip in the Netherlands, the conversation there was more about the new tariffs.

I could go on and on about why I won't be visiting the US anytime soon, but there's one reason that's sufficient on its own so I'll skip the list/rant:

The ongoing threat to Canadian sovereignty. That's it, that's all.

Avoiding?

That's why I am most determined to get back to France and Germany this summer specifically given the events.

I would have made such a trip anyway as part of normal summer travel in Europe but this turn of events offers a unique culturally / socially opportunity as an eye-witness given the pronouncements by the European Union Commission....Bravo !

Posted by S J Western Canada

We are still your neighbours and will be again after the madness and
the mad men are removed.

We still welcome you to come and visit us up here in the North!

Thank you.

Yes. We are still neighbours no matter the madness and I appreciate your welcome.

I'd like to take the train journey across Canada someday.

We are also still neighbors with those to our south.

Well I have it on good authority that the seals and king penguins from Heard Island and McDonald Islands have definitely cancelled all their U.S. trips for the time being..

That might just about cripple the US economy TTM.

Wombat, I guess it’s possible the shags might still be flying over.

To S J and all our Candian friends....Still hoping/planning for a trip to Montreal and Quebec City. I've only been to British Columbia, Alberta, and just a tinge of Ontario. I am glad we will be welcome (at least, if you-know-who doesn't make things any worse)!
A bientot!