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Has the US become a hostile environment for tourists?
Detentions and deportations have cast an unflattering spotlight on the way the US treats visitors.
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In 2024, US inbound travel was still around nine per cent below pre-pandemic levels, with arrivals from China and Japan particularly slow to recover.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Chris Bryant
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Are foreign tourists still welcome in President Donald Trump’s America? I’m starting to wonder after several cases of international visitors being detained for long periods in questionable circumstances. If this rough treatment continues, it won’t just be travellers who suffer.
While the US has a duty to protect its borders and enforce the law, overseas tourists may become even more inclined to head elsewhere, threatening billions of dollars in domestic spending.
