Photo: Patrick Fallon/Reuters
American tourists planning trips overseas are probably familiar with U.S. State Department “travel advisories,” which warn about the risks of visits to war-torn or totalitarian countries as well as those experiencing high crime or suffering from poor infrastructure. These up-to-date looks at local conditions abroad are meant to help Americans avoid not only bodily harm but also extreme unpleasantness or drastic interruptions in derailed vacations or business trips. Here’s a current example, for Israel:
Do Not Travel To:
• Gaza due to terrorism and armed conflict
• Northern Israel within 4 kilometers/2.4 miles of the Lebanese and Syrian borders due to Israel’s continued military presence and activity
Reconsider Travel To:
• Israel due to terrorism and civil unrest
• West Bank due to terrorism and civil unrest
That’s all entirely understandable considering the ongoing crisis in that country. It’s also understandable that European countries have now begun warning their citizens about the risks of travel to the United States of America. That’s because they have determined that under the new regime of Donald Trump, the U.S. has become the kind of country where every foreigner better have their papers in order unless they want to risk extreme consequences. Forbes reports:
The United Kingdom updated its foreign travel advice for the U.S. on Mar. 15, recommending visitors comply with U.S. authorities, which “set and enforce entry rules strictly” and warning, “You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.” An archived version of the webpage from Feb. 1 shows the guidance had previously said: “The authorities in the U.S. set and enforce entry rules” with no mention of arrest or detention.
Germany’s Federal Foreign Office updated its website Tuesday, advising travelers that even having a valid authorization permit or U.S. visa doesn’t guarantee the right to enter the country and, if refused, “there is no legal recourse against this decision.” A new paragraph warns: “Criminal records in the United States, false information about the purpose of their stay, or even a slight overstay of their visa upon entry or exit can lead to arrest, detention, and deportation.”
Tourists who run afoul of the Trump administration’s cultural conservatism could have additional problems. Germany, Denmark, and Finland have warned their citizens that the U.S. may deny entry to transgender and nonbinary tourists since the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization used by Europeans for visa-free travel doesn’t allow foreign visitors to select anything other than “male” or “female.” Germany and Denmark both allow their citizens to designate “X” as their gender on passports.
Aside from the intense scrutiny tourists trying to visit this country may encounter, the Trump administration’s overall attitude toward select foreign countries is having a dampening effect on tourism. That’s particularly true of the single largest source of U.S. tourism, our neighbors to the north. As the New York Times reports, Canadians unhappy with Trump’s claims that their country will be America’s 51st state have lost interest in visiting the other 50, including New York:
More than one million Canadians visited New York City last year, injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy. Now, they are canceling trips in droves. School groups have called off end-of-semester trips. So have busloads of retirees, as well as newlyweds planning honeymoons, friends celebrating birthdays and a family from Quebec that had planned to visit twice this year. Often, the reason cited is President Trump’s escalating hostility toward Canada and repeated threats to make it the 51st state, which has stirred sweeping pledges to boycott American goods and abandon over-the-border vacations to the United States.
The Trump administration’s “America First” approach to the rest of the world is now creating real costs for Americans. We’re paying in dollars and cents, and in the long-revered reputation of this country as a marvelous place to visit where freedom is revered.
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