Trump’s return to the White House; Will tourism suffer again?

The results of the US elections show that Trump is back in the White House. The policies of Trump’s previous presidency had a negative impact on the tourism and travel market, and although this statistic may not be impressive, it is about billions of dollars in tourism revenue. The remaining statistics from the period before Trump’s presidency after one year showed that with the ban on the entry of citizens from several large Muslim countries, incoming flights from the Middle East and Africa dropped by 26.2 and 30.2 percent, respectively, compared to the year before Trump’s presence. . The residents of Mexico also had a good reason to embargo America; At that time, their trip to America decreased by 6.1%.

The markets of tourists entering the United States in other places also fell a year after Trump’s presence in the palace. Inbound flights from Eastern Europe decreased by 11.9%, from South America by 13%, from Central America by 10% and from the Caribbean by 13.8%.

Now Trump is back in the White House and the world tourism market will be affected by his presence. A look at an article published a year after Trump’s first appearance in the White House shows that the tourism market will probably be affected by Trump’s presence again; Effects that may be more intense than last time. We will pass on that article later.

Trump’s effects on the tourism industry during the previous presidential term:

The world sanctions America

In a post-election Telegraph Travel poll, 35 percent of readers said they would stay away from the United States if Donald Trump became president.

It seems that many of them were true to their word; In the first five months of the year, even as international travel increased globally, travelers arriving in the United States were down 5.3 percent from a year ago. Obviously, the passengers who came from the UK decreased by 6.3%. According to the Global Business Travel Association, these figures may not be very high, but they are significant; Because we are talking about £140 million a week.

Tourists especially from the Middle East and Mexico will decrease

Due to the ban on the entry of citizens from several major Muslim countries, it is not surprising that incoming flights from the Middle East and Africa, respectively, dropped by 26.2% and 30.2% compared to last year. The residents of Mexico also have a good reason to boycott America; Their trip to the United States has decreased by 6.1 percent.

The “Trumpian recession” has also affected Eastern Europe; Incoming flights from that region have decreased by 11.9%. South America decreased by 13%, Central America decreased by 10%, and the Caribbean decreased by 13.8%. It is the only Asian market where no change is observed.

_{Photo source: airport-world.com, photographer: unknown}

Passengers face more security checks

The laptop ban that affected flights in June and July has been lifted; But security checks have increased for travelers going to US airports. The introduction of new rules last month means travelers can expect to be asked more questions about their trip, have their electronic devices scanned and hand over their mobile phone to prove it is not planned for terrorist purposes.

The value of money will rise

During Trump’s election, one pound was equal to 1.2 dollars; But the dollar has since weakened and now trades for $1.30 a pound, favoring Brits heading to New York for the pre-Christmas break or skiing in Colorado.

America’s national parks are under threat and have become more expensive

During Trump’s plan in 2018, the cost of clearing and maintaining national parks was reduced. As a result of this plan, the facilities of the parks will be limited and the parks can be open for fewer hours. Fewer employees means less force to protect America’s beautiful landscapes. Many are concerned about the future of 409 parks, 23 trails, rivers and iconic landmarks.

The cost of entering these areas has also become more expensive. Visitors to America’s 17 famous national parks (including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone) will have to pay nearly three times what they paid in May.

Visits to the Statue of Liberty have increased

Since Trump became president, visits to one of America’s attractions have increased: the Statue of Liberty. In January, about 170,000 people crossed from Battery Park in Manhattan to Liberty Island, an 18 percent increase from last year. February showed a 15% growth compared to the previous year.

_{Photo source: unsplash.com, photographer: kazuend}

You can no longer go to North Korea

The immediate effect of Trump’s war of words with Kim Jong-un was to erase North Korea from the travel map. In June, Trump banned American citizens from traveling to North Korea. In August, the British Foreign Ministry advised everyone, especially people with British nationality, not to go to that country. Whether traveling to North Korea is ethical or not is a matter of debate; But now it seems impossible to have enough travel insurance to go there.

South Korea is suffering

The Korea Tourism Organization has predicted that due to the political tension in the region in 2017, travel to the country will decrease by 27%.

Canada is benefiting from massive development

If fewer people go to America, where will they go instead? For example, to start with America’s neighbor. According to figures from the World Tourism Organization, inbound trips to Canada increased by 6.7% in 2017. Even in South America, that is, in Mexico, an increase of 9.9 percent has been observed.

Other countries that saw an increase in tourists this year include Mongolia, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Iceland and Vietnam. Of course, this increase is not necessarily influenced by Trump.

Visits to Slovenia have increased

The birthplace of Melanija Knavs, the current first lady of the United States, has also seen a 15% increase in tourist arrivals. Some consider it influenced by her husband, Donald Trump.

Cuba is cheaper and quieter

Until last year, Cuba rarely had to use its hotels; But after the normalization of relations under Obama, restrictions on travel and trade with Cuba were lifted and the number of tourists increased. After decades, American cruise ships anchored in Havana and flights between the two countries were established.

All this was before Trump came. After the change of government, the situation returned to some extent and the tour organizers had to apply huge discounts to fill the vacancies.

_{Photo source: cubaniatravel.com, photographer: unknown}

Trump’s hotels are not doing well either

Trump’s new hotel in Washington lost more than a million dollars in the first two months of his presidency. The drop in Manhattan visitors also caused one of its restaurants, Koi, to close in April.

Searches for travel to Namibia have increased

Of course, this one is not very true. Only Trump thinks Namibia is a country. The rest of us know that its name is Namibia. It has exceptional wildlife and its beach and desert scenery is truly stunning.

_{Cover photo source: edition.cnn.com, photographer: Will Lanzoni}