As the Trump administration's trade policies continue to tighten, the United States is facing the awkward reality of a noticeable decline in visitors from its traditional allies. According to data from several leading travel platforms, tourists from Canada, Europe, and some Asian countries are increasingly excluding the U.S. from their outbound destinations, raising concerns in the tourism industry about a "Trump recession."
Data from hotel search platform Trivago shows that due to increasing global economic uncertainties, tourists from the UK and the US are opting more for domestic destinations for leisure. More crucially, the number of bookings from Japan, Canada, and Mexico to the U.S. has seen a double-digit year-on-year decline. Analysts widely attribute this trend to President Trump's imposition of punitive tariffs on these countries.
Among them, Canadians' attitudes are particularly pronounced. Trump has hinted multiple times that Canada should become the "51st state" of the U.S., a statement that has sparked widespread discontent in Canada and has led to a "boycott American goods" movement, further dampening enthusiasm for cross-border tourism.
Germany is experiencing a similar trend. A joint survey by Trivago and PA Media found that interest among German tourists in visiting the U.S. has notably waned, with hotel bookings to the U.S. showing a single-digit percentage decline. German Chancellor Merz publicly stated this week that if U.S.-EU trade frictions intensify, Germany will counter U.S. tariffs and push the EU to take retaliatory measures against American tech companies.
This sentiment has already dealt a substantive blow to the U.S. tourism industry. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Travel and Tourism Office shows that the number of international visitors to the U.S. in March 2024 decreased by 11.6% compared to the same period last year. This decline highlights the rapidly waning appeal of the U.S. as an international tourist destination.
Moreover, domestic tourism in the U.S. is undergoing structural changes. Trivago data indicates that Americans' willingness to spend on travel is diminishing, with more people opting for budget hotels and lower star accommodations, indicating a trend of "more travel, lower spend."
U.S. traveler Terry Wells admitted in an interview that he and his wife had planned to visit Seoul, South Korea, but abandoned their international trip due to concerns about U.S. political issues and diplomatic tensions, choosing instead to visit family in Hawaii. He also revealed that he no longer dares to travel abroad wearing a T-shirt with the American flag, saying it feels like being a "walking target."
A survey by a global emergency relief organization found that among 11,000 respondents, 72% believe the current U.S. international image is deteriorating. Some American tourists have even started wearing badges saying "I didn't vote for him" to mitigate negative perceptions while traveling abroad.
Industry experts worry that if this trend continues, the U.S. tourism sector may prematurely enter a "Trump-era recession" during a global "political chill." Amidst international instability and tense ally relations, tourism, a traditional outlet of soft power, is quietly losing its allure.
