Trump hits US tourism

THE number of international visitors arriving in the US plunged almost 4 per cent in the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2016, according to data released from the US Department of Commerce National Travel and Tourism Office.

Sectors of the travel industry have been warning President Donald Trump’s antiforeigner rhetoric and immigration policies would lead to a drop in tourism.

Fewer visitors came from almost every region, with declines in arrivals from Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, South America, Central America and the Caribbean.

The only region that sent more visitors in the first six months of 2017 compared with 2016 was Canada, up 5 per cent.

The overall drop was even higher in June alone than for the six-month period, with a 6.7 per cent decline in June 2017 compared with June 2016.

All told, 33.8 million nonresident international travellers entered the US between January and June of this year, a 3.9 per cent decline from the same period in 2016.

The decline from the Middle East was substantial at almost 30 per cent, January to June, year over year.

Visitors from Mexico in June dropped 16 per cent compared with the previous June, and there was a 9.4 per cent decline in visitors from Mexico in the six-month period. Visitors from Western Europe were down 1.8 per cent.

“The latest government data is deeply concerning not just to our industry, but to anyone who cares about the economic wellbeing of the US,” US Travel Association chief executive Roger Dow said.

“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 trend needs to become a national priority.”

Marketing agency NYC & Company predicted New York would lose up to 100,000 visitors this year.

Other possible factors in the decline include the strength of the US dollar, affecting tourists’ spending, and a series of mass shootings.