Europeans Reduce U.S. Travel Amid Border Security Tensions
EUROPEANS ARE PLANNING less travel to the U.S. amid rising tensions over border security and visa revocations under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Financial Express reported. Western European travelers who typically stayed at least one night in the U.S. fell 17 percent in March compared to last year, the Financial Times reported, citing International Trade Administration data.
Sébastien Bazin, Accor’s CEO, told Bloomberg that reports of U.S. border detentions had sparked “bad buzz” around visiting, contributing to the company’s recent announcement of a 25 percent drop in summer bookings to the U.S. from Europe, according to Financial Express.
The Financial Times analysis of ITA data revealed a 20 percent drop in international travel from countries like Ireland, Norway, and Germany. Meanwhile, the total number of international visitors to the U.S. fell 12 percent year-on-year in March, marking the steepest decline since March 2021, when pandemic restrictions hit the travel sector.
While British Airways owner IAG and U.S. carrier Delta Air reported no significant impact, Virgin Atlantic warned of a “modest” decline in U.S. demand for transatlantic flights. Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith noted the need to cut economy-class transatlantic fares due to ongoing “slight softness” in the market.
Naren Shaam, CEO of Berlin-based travel booking platform Omio, said that bookings to the U.S. were canceled 16 percent more in the first quarter compared to last year, with cancellations from the UK, Germany and France rising by 40 percent.
Moreover, countries like Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK, Germany, Finland and Canada issued new travel advisories, warning that entry to the U.S. could be denied despite proper visas and documentation.
Adding to the travel concerns, Business Insider shared the story of a European based in the UK who had visited the U.S. three times. Having traveled to Florida, Texas, and Boston, the traveler said, “As a European, I always felt welcome in the country and never worried about my visits beyond the usual travel inconveniences like long flights and tiredness.”
However, her view on U.S. travel changed this year, FE reported.
Despite planning a summer visit to Niagara Falls in New York, Samantha Priestley from the UK canceled the trip. She cited stories of travelers facing enhanced scrutiny at the U.S. border, including Customs and Border Protection officers searching people’s devices, as the reason for canceling her plans.
Priestley also cited the case of a French researcher denied entry in March. Although France claimed the researcher was blocked due to messages about Donald Trump on his phone, U.S. officials rejected this, stating he had “confidential information” on his device, according to CNN.
In March, reports emerged of British tourist Becky Burke being detained for nearly two weeks after attempting to travel from the U.S. to Canada. Her father shared a late-February Facebook post, stating, “When she tried to return to the U.S., she was refused re-entry and classified as an ‘illegal alien.’”
He said that, despite having no criminal record, she was handcuffed and taken to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, with no clear timeline for her release. “What was meant to be a life-changing four-month backpacking trip across North America has turned into a nightmare," he wrote.
Doubling down on its strict immigration measures, the U.S. Department of State posted on X last month, “U.S. visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued. We continuously check visa holders to ensure they follow all U.S. laws and immigration rules – and we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t.”
The situation has also been difficult for green card holders.
“For a green card holder, even if I might like that green card holder, he does not have an indefinite right to be in the United States of America,” Vice President JD Vance told Fox News.
Bank of America credit and debit card data shows U.S. tourism spending is currently below 2023 and 2024 levels, driven by strong post-pandemic demand, with declines in lodging, tourism, and airline spending.
Trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada are also impacting tourism, with a 23 percent year-over-year drop in Canadians driving to the U.S. in February—the second consecutive monthly decline and only the second since March 2021.
