Tourists From Trump’s Trade War Targets Are Shunning the U.S.
Tourists from countries heavily targeted by President Donald Trump’s trade war are opting not to travel to the United States. Data from hotel search site Trivago, shared with the Press Association, shows that Canadians and Mexicans are leading the charge in shunning their close neighbor, with bookings to the U.S. slumping by a double-digit percentage. Trump slapped duties of 25 percent on imports from both countries back in February. Japan’s automotive industry has been hit with the same tariff, with a secondary 24 percent levy paused until July. The Japanese are on par with Canada and Mexico in avoiding travel to the U.S. Demand with Germans was also “down heavily,” as Trump flirts with 50 percent levies on the EU, although the percentage decline remains in single digits for now. Last month, data from the International Trade Administration showed that the number of foreign visitors flying into the U.S. fell by almost 10 percent in March compared with the same period last year. Reacting in the Oval Office, Trump shrugged it off as “not a big deal.” He told a reporter: “There is a little nationalism there, I guess, perhaps. It is not a big deal.”