International travel to the United States is expected to slide by 5 percent this year, contributing to a $64 billion shortfall for the travel industry, according to Tourism Economics. The research firm had originally forecast a 9 percent increase in foreign travel, but revised its estimate late last month to reflect “polarizing Trump Administration policies and rhetoric.”
“There’s been a dramatic shift in our outlook,” said Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics. “You’re looking at a much weaker economic engine than what otherwise would’ve been, not just because of tariffs, but the rhetoric and condescending tone around it.”
The number of overseas visitors to the United States fell 2.4 percent in February from a year earlier, government data shows, with the biggest drops in travelers from Africa (down 9 percent), Asia (7 percent) and Central America (6 percent). Meanwhile, travel from China — a frequent target of the president’s ire — is down 11 percent.
Penelope Poole, who lives in the Philippines, is scrapping plans for a family cruise in Florida with her 90-year-old mother. Instead, she and nearly 30 relatives are heading to a lakeside resort in Canada.
“My siblings and I decided that given the early volatility and hostility of this administration, we couldn’t take a chance,” the 66-year-old said, adding that some relatives would be traveling from Indonesia and Mexico. “We were increasingly concerned about personal safety.”
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