Fewer and fewer visitors are travelling to the United States, figures from the International Trade Organisation show. Belgians too are shying away from visits to the States. In recent years, the tourism sector in the US has been steadily recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, but this year there has been a new, sharp decline in international tourism. “Two reasons are often cited: fear that visitors will not be allowed to enter the country, and fundamental objections to the policies of US president Donald J. Trump,” says VRT News North America editor Thomas De Graeve.
The main reasons tourists cite for not travelling to the US are: fear of not being allowed in, fear of street violence and indiscriminate arrests, and, out of principle, because they object to the policies of US president Donald J. Trump.
Earlier this month, US Customs and Border Protection announced that it wants to gain more insight into the social media accounts of foreign nationals entering the country. It is not entirely clear why they want to search these accounts, but most likely they want to check whether visitors have spoken out strongly against the US president's policies online. It's a measure that is likely to deter many people from visiting the US out of fear they will be refused entry at the border.
US customs officials allowed to search phones and smartphones
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have the right to screen all electronic devices. This includes smartphones, but also tablets, computers, and cameras. However, in the past, this rarely, if ever, happened: in 2024, the electronic devices of less than 0.01 percent of arriving international travellers were searched.
But according to figures from the International Trade Organisation, the changing attitude of the US government towards tourists also seems to be deterring more and more people from travelling to the United States.
An economic blow
Estimates show that 5 percent fewer foreign tourists will travel to the US this year in comparison with last, whereas growth had initially been predicted. Some estimates even suggest a decline of 8 to 9 percent!
Last year, some 72 million overseas tourists visited the US. This year there will be at least 3.5 million fewer.
Most of the tourists who are staying away are Canadian, Venezuelan, German, or South Korean, not coincidentally countries with which the US currently has a difficult relationship. For Belgium specifically, there has been a 7.7 percent decline compared to 2024.
There has been a notable increase in tourists from Mexico, Peru, Russia, and Mongolia, although this increase is unlikely to compensate for the European-Canadian loss.
This evolution comes with a hefty price tag: the US economy will lose nearly €11 billion this year compared to last year, and €30 billion compared to pre-pandemic 2019. Approximately 230,000 jobs are at risk due to lower demand in the tourism and service sectors in hotels, restaurants, and the entertainment industry.
Thomas De Graeve, VRT NEWS North America editor (pictured), also notices rising concern regarding trips to the US among friends and family. “Friends and family in Belgium who are considering travelling to the US have many questions. Will everything go smoothly at the border? Will we be allowed in? Once we're here, will it be safe, given all the stories about police on the streets and crime? You often hear these kinds of concerns voiced.”
“Folk who do travel usually don't encounter any problems. Stories about problems at the border do the rounds, but they remain exceptional experiences. Acquaintances who arrived recently have had virtually no problems, and once here, daily life for tourists appears to have hardly changed, despite the way the media sometimes portrays it.”
However, Thomas De Graeve realises that this is not the case for everyone. “I can imagine that people from Latin America think twice,” he says. "There are reports of immigration services approaching or temporarily detaining people, especially Spanish-speakers and people with a dark skin. For them, the situation is clearly different, and it makes sense that they are extra cautious."
The United States may be eying better prospects in 2026 with the World Cup, but exorbitant prices could still deter many. Thousands of people including many Belgians, are, however, expected travel to the US to attend one or more of the many exciting matches. Belgium fans will be eager to see their team, the Red Devils, advance beyond the group stage, unlike in Qatar in 2022, when this didn't happen.