Bloomberg: US Economy Is Set to Lose Billions as Foreign Tourists Stay Away

[Dennis Donovan]

Bloomberg - (archived: https://archive.ph/56dhP ) US Economy Is Set to Lose Billions as Foreign Tourists Stay Away

By Augusta Saraiva
April 15, 2025 at 10:00 AM UTC

The US economy is set to lose billions of dollars in revenue in 2025 from a pullback in foreign tourism and boycotts of American products, adding to a growing list of headwinds keeping recession risk elevated.

Arrivals of non-citizens to the US by plane dropped almost 10% in March from a year earlier, according to data published Monday by the International Trade Administration. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimates 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.



Foreign tourism has been a tailwind for the US in recent years as the cessation of pandemic-era restrictions sparked a resurgence of international travel. But many potential visitors are now rethinking their vacation plans amid increased hostility at the border, rising geopolitical frictions and global economic uncertainty.

One of them is Curtis Allen, a Canadian videographer who canceled an upcoming US vacation after President Donald Trump imposed punitive tariffs on his home country and suggested it should become the 51st US state. Allen and his partner have been on multiple camping trips to Oregon over the years, but this year, they will be traveling around British Columbia instead.

“We’re not just staying home,” said Allen, 34. “We’re going to go spend the same money somewhere else.”

/snip

[LakeVermilion]

1. TSF*

* not a serious president. (also cheats at golf)

[SamKnause]

2. They are making a wise decision.

You are not safe in the U.S.

I live here and I am not safe.

No one is safe.

The U.S. is a lawless country.

All institutions have been infected with White Supremacists and Christian Nationalists.

There is only 1 party of government remaining.

The republican party died and morphed into the trump party.

1 side represents goodness and decency.

1 side represents evil and hate.

[BoRaGard]

3. "To be honest, for once, this is all our fault." - G.O.P.

Thank you for finally being MANLY and owning up to your FAIL.

[patphil]

4. I was born and raised in northern New York State.

There's so much Canadian tourism up there that many of the signs in Lake George are in both English and French Canadian.
I don't think a lot of Canadians will be coming there this year.
And this is how it is all along the US/Canadian border.
It will definitely hurt a lot of businesses along the border.

[the nelm]

9. Same with Maine.

All the coastal tourist spots depend a lot on Canadians during the summer months. The same can likely be said for most such locations along the Eastern seaboard.

[Attilatheblond]

12. Here in southern AZ, similar economic reality, but people from Mexico who cross border LEGALLY as shopping tourists

and some more complicated medical care. We have many signs in English & Spanish and that really pisses off the bigots here.

[paleotn]

13. Also in Vermont

Irony is , we’re not the idiots responsible for all this mess. Our states are solidly Blue. I understand them not wanting to vacation at the Gulf, Florida our the southeast coast in general. Hell, I don’t want to go there. Traveling south feels almost like crossing the Iron Curtain into Eastern Europe back in the bad old days. Just feels creepy.

But the northern tier of the Northeast isn’t like that. We have our magats but our state governments haven’t embraced fascism like other parts of the US. Yet we’re suffering from it.

[Rebl2]

31. Feels like

they have in my red state

[North Coast Lawyer]

24. Prices are down.

Booked a hotel in Glens Falls yesterday (just south of Lake George). Cheaper than any time in the last decade.

[JohnnyRingo]

5. Logic dictates they cancel the proposed tax cut.

The whole reason behind his tariff strategy was to "make America rich" so they could afford to grant a few trillion in relief for the struggling investor class.
Well, that didn't work, so back up the social handout. There's no reason for a tax cut if corporate entities are bringing in less money.

If I went from working 40 hours week to 20 hours at a lower base pay, I wouldn't complain about high wealth taxes.

[IronLionZion]

6. America is back baby. MAGA

[Renew Deal]

7. There is one bright side for Americans that travel

You might be able to get into very expensive and exclusive places for lower price, though not that much lower when considering tarrifs

[Oopsie Daisy]

8. Good! Sometimes people need to suffer before they learn a valuable lesson...

... once someone hits rock bottom, waking up in a gutter, face down in their own vomit and smelling of sewage, only then will they be motivated to change.

It's just a damn shame that so many others will suffer too as the MAGAverse learns the hard lessons.

[Owens]

10. We'll lose more

The World Cup and Olympics are coming and I don't think anyone is coming to America. Surprised the World Cup hasn't moved the U.S. games to Mexico or Canada. And of course, Trump will blame Biden

[kimbutgar]

19. I wonder if the Olympics will be like what happened in 1980 when Moscow was boycotted over the

Invasion of Afghanistan and 1984 Russia retaliated by boycotting the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. I suspect as things get worst in the US many foreign countries will boycott in the fear they could be sent to the El Salvador prisons or attacked by Maga Americans who are against foreigners in their country.

[NCDem47]

11. Florida (Mega MAGAland) will experince the ripple effect of this.

MAGAts will blow it off saying, "Fine, it was getting too crowded. I'd rather mix with 'real' Americans anyway."

DeSantis was wanting to eliminate property taxes for residents shifting burden to increasing tourists taxes (domestic and international). Folks are leaving the state due to high cost of living and increasing hurricane risks (and I imagine poltics too!).

From the Governor's Office, international tourists made up 6.6% of overall Florida tourists.

[SergeStorms]

26. 6.6% seems awfully low to me.

I'd say at least double that, around 15%. You're never going to get truthful data from DeSatan's offices, only data that makes him look good.

[moniss]

14. Nobody in their right mind would want to come here now. nt

[perdita9]

16. We are afraid to travel outside of the country

Even with a passport, they might not let us in

[perdita9]

15. Are you tired of winning yet?

[mainer]

17. They may want to visit blue states but the border scares them

I spent the weekend with a Canadian couple, here in the US for a conference they had to attend. They didn’t want to come because they were afraid of trouble at the border. She left her cellphone at home, for fear border patrol would look at her social media history. And that’s it, they’re not coming back until Trump’s gone.

[usaf-vet]

18. Let's not forget American vacations within our border. National Parks are likely to become drilling sites and/or......

.... be grossly understaffed, which means unsafe conditions. Dirty, unkept facilities. Closed off areas.

I see a lot of backyard picnics.

[kimbutgar]

20. And after the trees have been cut down for logging they will be hell holes.

And don’t get me started on the displacement of animals in those parks.

[usaf-vet]

21. Dead on both counts.

[IronLionZion]

22. You'd think a president who owns hotels and resorts would know about tourism money in the US

but then you may also see how he's gone bankrupt so many times screwing investors and contractors/workers.

[NotHardly]

23. So much winning

[wolfie001]

25. Just some more "tRUMP built that"

POS to the nth degree. More lies, frauds and crimes to follow.

[spanone]

27. If I didn't live here, I would have no desired to come.

[Mike 03]

29. Oh, me neither!

In fact, if I were still on any of the social media platforms, I'd be warning people away for their own safety and sanity.

[Mike 03]

28. Wow. Quite impressive that we already have this data aggregated.

This WILL matter, especially in a state like Florida, come this summer (if it continues). Speaking of Florida, DeSantis sure has been quiet lately.

[YoshidaYui]

30. FUCK YEAH maybe the party that elected this clown will finally

get a fucking clue.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

32. Heckuva job Trumpy

Everything you touch turns to shit

[Bluetus]

33. Understand that most of the Trump damage won't be seen for months

The tariffs keep flip-flopping. Nobody has a prayer of figuring out exactly what is being levied on any particular day. Lots of good are going to be stuck at ports (outbound at foreign ports or inbound at US ports). Much of that merchandise can't be accepted because nobody has the ability or willingness to pay the tariff.

Most of what will be sold here over the next 60 days was already imported before tariffs. We won't see the full impact of much of this until June or July. And to the extent that this leads to inflation or recession, much of that will really kick in after June for all the above reasons.

What we are seeing today is mostly just the Trump chaos, and price gouging that happens within the fog of chaos. The real pain is just now entering the pipeline and won't be realized into summer, or even Labor Day.