Donald Trump scares away European tourists
The Trump effect is indeed beginning to be felt in tourism. Professionals are noting a decline in the number of trips to the United States, particularly by French people, who are put off by his policies as much as by his personality.
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The latest figures published by the Federation of Travel Companies and the Orchestra platform are unambiguous. The French have been increasingly abandoning the United States, month after month, since the arrival of the new tenant of the White House. According to the barometer in question, the number of trips has fallen by 17% year-on-year, after already falling by 8% in February and by 3% in March. These are trips already taken, but the trend is identical for bookings: -11% for the summer season.
Trump has a repulsive effect. The French are abandoning the United States in reaction to the American president's policies and, above all, his personality. Clearly, this is playing a major role, and not just among French tourists, since, overall, the figures show a decline in the American destination among all Europeans: -17% in March, with a particularly marked disaffection among Germans, Spaniards, and Irish.
Alongside the trade war, there's also a lot of talk about the currency war being waged by the American administration. Could this be playing a role in tourists' choices? In reality, for French travelers, and European travelers in the broader sense, the difference in currency parity can't be an explanation because the exchange rate difference is in our favor. The dollar being slightly weaker than the euro, this is likely to facilitate traffic to the United States and the consumption of goods and services there. No, it's rather the general atmosphere on American soil that's pushing tourists away from this destination. According to the Orchestra / Travel Companies barometer, when it comes to destinations across the Atlantic, a large portion of the clientele is turning to Canada in particular: +15% between air traffic already booked and reservations.
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