I admit to taking a certain pleasure in reporting bad news about the U.S. That it is being sanctioned by Canadians for its abysmal treatment of such a reliable trading partner seems only right and just.
International visitor spending in the U.S. is expected to drop by $12.5 billion (U.S.), falling to $169 billion by the end of 2025, down from $181 billion last year, according to new data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). This marks a 7-per-cent decline from 2024 and a 22 per cent drop compared to the last peak of American tourism in 2019.
The U.S., home to the world’s largest travel and tourism sector, is the only country among 184 economies analyzed by WTTC and Oxford Economics that is projected to see a decline in international visitor spending this year.
The U.S., in my view, has been a dangerous place to visit for many years, its love of guns and violence and a deeply rooted suspicion of "the other" overshadowing its many attractions. The realization of that danger has become more pronounced since Don Trump began his second term as president.
... hundreds of thousands of Canadians are deciding not to vacation or take day trips to the U.S. Incidents like the detention of European tourists at U.S. borders and a new policy requiring foreign nationals staying over 30 days to register have further discouraged international travel to America.
”(The decline) is not related to the economy in general,” said Frédéric Dimanche, director of Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. “It’s really more a question of attitudes towards the U.S. and Trump, whether (travellers) are against the policies, against the politics, whether they’re concerned about the security issues when crossing the border.”
It would seem that this decline will take a long time, if ever, to reverse.
The WTTC [World Travel and Tourism Council] forecasts it will take until at least 2030 for the U.S. tourism industry, worth nearly $2.6 trillion, to recover to pre-COVID levels.
Dimanche said consumer perceptions of the Trump administration won’t change over time, and it will take years for the tourism industry to rebuild tourist confidence.
Being a relatively safe country, one hopes that Canada will position itself to be an attractive travel alternative. There is much to be said for a holidaying in a locale where every second thought isn't for the personal safety of oneself and one's family.