That Donald Trump is unpopular on the international stage is relevant in a variety of ways, but during his first term, the world’s woeful attitudes toward the Republican had little effect on international travelers and their willingness to visit the United States.
In his second term, as the president imposes destabilizing trade tariffs on countries around the world, it’s a very different story. In fact, as MSNBC’s Chris Hayes put it, the White House has effectively launched a “war on tourism.”
An Axios report added that international tourism to the U.S. is “falling fast,” and the jobs associated with the industry “are being threatened.” Looking solely at German tourists, the number of visitors dropped 28% in March 2025 as compared to March 2024. That coincided with a CBC report that noted, “The number of cross-border travelers going from Canada to the U.S. dropped by nearly 900,000 in March compared to the same month last year … easily one of the worst year-over-year drops recorded outside of the COVID-19 health crisis.”
A report in Fortune noted that a Goldman Sachs analysis estimated that in a worst-case scenario, “the hit this year from reduced travel and boycotts could total 0.3% of gross domestic product, which would amount to almost $90 billion.”
Ideally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio would make clear to the world that the U.S. is open for business and eager to welcome visitors. Instead, Trump’s chief diplomat authored a piece for Fox News that was unmistakably hostile toward would-be tourists.








