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“Trump Slump” Hits US Travel Industry

The U.S. travel industry’s profits have hit a wall (pun intended) following the election of Trump.

The “Trump Slump” is in full effect in the United States travel industry – the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is citing major losses in travel profits across the country since Donald Trump was elected President. According to the GBTA, visits to the U.S. are down by 2.2 percent following the controversial immigration executive order. So far, that equals about $185 million in lost revenue.

That fall in revenue is echoed by a lagging demand for flights heading into the country, travel company Hopper says. Desire for flights to the U.S. is down by about 10 percent from its pre-Trump level.

“Trump’s executive order has led to a significant drop in interest in traveling to the US,” Patrick Surry, Hopper’s chief data scientist, told the Telegraph. “While some would argue that a reduction in foreign visitors is a positive outcome, it’s clear that the vast majority of these potential travelers are simply business people, tourists, family members, students and the like. If travel restrictions are reinstated it may send the message that visitors are no longer welcome in America and we could be seeing the start of a significant downturn for the travel and tourism industry.”

Hopper’s research also found that the travel slump isn’t just seasonal—during this time last year, demand was only down 1.8 percent rather than the 10 percent it sits at now.

Kayak has done research with similar results, as well, tracking flight searches from the E.U. to the U.S. The company noted a 14 percent decrease in searches for flights to the U.S. in January when Trump signed the executive order.

“With 1.5 billion searches conducted on Kayak websites every year, these percentage changes are really significant,” Kayak’s Suzanne Perry told The Telegraph. “The data strongly indicates that there has been a substantial decline in searches and interest for travel to the US since the start of Donald Trump’s campaign.”

Perry did note that flight searches to the U.S. from Russia, though, have spiked to 88 percent.

[Photo: Shutterstock]

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6 Comments
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fairhsa February 21, 2017

USA has never made visitors feel welcome. Leave them to their isolationist paradise why don't we.

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FairDinkumMate February 21, 2017

I agree it's strange GUM. As an Australian citizen that lives in Brazil, I find it very weird that Brazil & the US have my fingerprints on file whilst Australia doesn't. Brazil has them because of my residency - for me, strange but OK. The US has them because I visit there - for me, really weird considering I have visited 28 countries & the US is the only one that required my fingerprints to enter.

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aristotled February 19, 2017

Contributing this to a political event is flawed thinking. Keep out of politics and keep your skewed agenda to yourself.

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dacwpark February 18, 2017

Fake news~! How despicable that politics have invaded flyer talk! If enforcing the law decreases international travel so be it, but the benefit gained in public safety not to mention expense for housing/feeding/health care/education of these illegals more than offsets that loss. Worse was the quote from Perry to reinforce the liberal agenda regarding Russia is just despicable! The airlines are making a fortune on international travel from everywhere!

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gum February 17, 2017

Interesting news, Jennifer! Honestly spoken personally I wouldn't change my travel plans merely based on a president. I am democrat enough to accept what the voters of another Western nation vote. However my personal slump in travelling to the US was caused by a mass of other measures: I think it is, remains and will ever be very annoying how the US "welcomes" people just wanting to see the sites. All passports now have a 100 % sure biometric pass photo. There is no need to annoy people by full fingerprinting of ten fingers - as they would be criminals during an investigation for serious offences. That said I am convinced that the perceived unfriendliness of the president may only be the final touch preventing tourists from visiting the US. IMHO the UNWTO (http://www2.unwto.org/en) should take measures for ensuring a more friendly and human border management. That measures applied to every traveller makes to feel me not welcomed. Furthermore I have sent the authorities some mails questioning this behavior. Just got a link back how "convenient" this procedure is. (To the short standard video clip on one of the government's sites).