There were nearly 12% fewer visitors from overseas in the United States last month compared to the same period last year, the Washington Post reported on Friday.
Visitors from Germany decreased even more steeply, down 28% in March, the report said, citing data from the International Trade Administration, which is part of the US Department of Commerce.
After a 2% decrease in February, this was the first significant decline since the Covid-19 pandemic, the newspaper reported. If this trend continues, it would mean billions in losses for the US tourism industry, according to experts.
The data indicated a 17% decrease in tourists from Western Europe, 24% from Central America, and 11% from China in March.
Concerns about problems at the border
Foreign tourists have been unsettled by a series of detentions upon entering the US. This includes several cases, among them German citizens, where individuals were denied entry despite having complete documentation. In some instances, those affected were held in deportation facilities for days or weeks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently sought to allay concerns about entry problems into the US. He stated that those not travelling to the United States to participate in a demonstration supporting the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas, incite unrest at universities, or plan riots have nothing to fear.
Expert partly blames Trump's divisive politics
Tourism expert Adam Sacks told the Washington Post that the decision by international travellers to avoid the US was to be expected. He attributed this to the divisive politics and rhetoric of US President Donald Trump's administration.
The tourism figures are not yet complete, as data from neighbouring countries Mexico and Canada are still missing, the newspaper reported.
It should also be considered that the Easter holiday, which is associated with many trips, fell at the end of March last year, while this year the holidays are in April.
After Mexico and Canada, most tourists to the US typically come from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, China and India.
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Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
