Trump Slump: US Loses Its Spot As Second Most Visited Destination

Reports about tourism in the United States declining were doing the rounds ever since President Donald Trump took office in 2017 — popularly known as Trump Slump, and if the latest data were taken into consideration, the U.S. has incurred a loss of $4.6 billion in addition to losing 40,000 jobs.

According to the latest data provided by the National Travel and Tourism Office, there was a 3.3 percent drop in travel spending and a 4 percent decline in inbound travel. America now also lost its spot as world's second most popular destination for foreign travel, NBC News reported.

According to experts, one of the reasons behind international tourism to the U.S. waning could be the POTUS’s proposed travel ban and anti-immigration policies along with a weaker dollar and heightened security measures.

Several Facebook users from Europe backed the notion when they responded to a New York Times' post regarding international tourism to U.S. declining in first six months of 2017. Users cited Trump administration and its policies as major reasons for avoiding or canceling trips to the U.S.

A user named Sabaa Farrukh wrote, “We are British Muslims and live in London. We wanted to visit N.Y.C. this summer but decided against it simply because we felt we wouldn’t be welcome there and didn’t want to waste precious holiday time in case there was a problem at passport control at the airport.”

Another user, Marika Treichel from Denmark, cited violence and safety as her primary issues.

“I have always dreamed of visiting the U.S. But the rise of gun violence and political chaos has made me want to cancel all future travels to the U.S. until I can feel safe as a tourist,” she wrote.

In his response, President of Tourism Economics Adam Sacks had said, “It’s not a reach to say the rhetoric and policies of this administration are affecting sentiment around the world, creating antipathy toward the U.S. and affecting travel behavior.”

According to another article in The Independent from November 2017, Roger Dow, chief executive of a nonprofit, US Travel Association, also raised concerns regarding Trump’s anti-foreigner rhetoric and immigration policies.

“The latest government travel data is deeply concerning not just to our industry, but to anyone who cares about the economic well-being of the United States. Travel is our country’s No. 2 export and supports more than 15 million American jobs. These numbers are an undeniable wake-up call, and correcting this troubling trend needs to become a national priority,” he said.

The U.S. Travel Association said it already started planning to form a “coalition of American businesses to send the message that the country welcomes foreign tourists," Los Angeles Times reported.

Jonathan Grella, executive vice president of public affairs for the U.S. Travel Association refused to blame Trump's anti-immigration policies and said "a very big portion of the coalition's work is to promote more balanced rhetoric."

"We want to get to the place that the administration says we are closed for terrorism but open for business," Grella said.

Through the coalition, the association is planning to launch a “Visit U.S.” campaign with other U.S. industries to send a message that the nation welcomes international visitors.