by Olivier Acuña Barba •Published: April 24, 2025•13:40•3 minutes read
Having all the documents and visas in order is no longer guaranteed you will enter the US | Photo: New Africa/Shutterstock
The dream holiday of two young German women turned into a nightmare upon landing in Honolulu, where they were strip searched and scanned their bodies before being deported.
19-year-old Charlotte Pohi and 18-year-old Maria Lepert had plans to explore the Hawaiian island before continuing their adventurous journey to California and Costa Rica. However, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) quickly ended their dreams.
The trials of two German backpackers are not isolated incidents. Canadian actress Jasmine Mooney, 35, was held for nearly two weeks by a US immigration officer in March after attempting to enter the United States from Mexico. She said her experience was similar to being “invited” and being embraced by “cold and crowded” cells. In an interview with ABC10, she described the conditions for detention facilities as “unfair.”
Lucas Sheilaf, 25, a German citizen traveling with his American fiancé, was detained for 16 days, allegedly violating the terms of his tourism permit. Despite holding a valid visa, he was tied up and trapped in a crowded detention centre before being allowed to return to Germany. It is these stories that have led to a sharp decline in travel to the US.
Tourism to the United States has fallen 12% compared to the same month last year, according to the International Trade Agency, an agency under the US Department of Commerce.
Soar the fear of bad experiences
Industry experts say some reasons are obvious. Reports of detention and deportation, including weeks of closures of European tourists, own the fear of bad experiences at the border. Some countries have stepped up travel advisories, and Trump’s whiplash tariffs have tightened international tensions.
Last month, the number of overseas visitors fell almost 12% compared to the same period last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce agency, the Bureau of International Trade.
The substantial slump comes after a 2% year-over-year decline in February, the first meaningful decline since travel plunged early in the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the Washington Post Reportif the decline continues, U.S. tourism revenues will lose billions of dollars, industry experts predicted.
Tension and furious at Trump’s rhetoric
“Some tourists are nervous about the Trump administration’s policies,” Financial Times I wrote it. “Others are furious at his rhetoric. Some people are questioning their safety. The European Union has begun issuing burner phones for officials who have come to the US out of fear of surveillance.
“In terms of business, trips to the US were also a hit. All sectors could struggle in 2025. Airfares, hotels and car rentals all saw a decline in business.” It has been reported. “The decline in travelers from various countries, including Denmark, Germany and Norway, underscores a global shift from the US.”
“Spain, one of the most European countries to travel to the US in March 2025, also recorded a drop of nearly 20,000 (-24.5%),” EuroNews said, adding that EuroNews It was revealed.
Stephen Gesling, professor of business and economics at Linnaeus University in Sweden, told Euronews:
Fewer Europeans travel to the US
The sudden drop in visitors from several countries and regions is particularly severe. According to official US data, there were 17% fewer visitors from Western Europe in March, 24% fewer from Central America, and 26% fewer from the Caribbean than a year ago.
After Canada and Mexico, the largest share of travelers usually came from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Japan, Korea, China, India, Australia, Brazil and Colombia.
US data also shows visitors in almost all of these countries that fell in March. The number of travelers from Colombia fell by 33%, Germany fell by 28%, and Spain fell by 25% the previous year.
Instead of heading to the US, many Europeans travel around the area, but American Travel Association spokesperson Allison O’Connor said “we are wary of the downward trend this year.”
Travel advisories to the US are not uncommon due to gun violence and many other crimes, but France, Denmark, Germany, Finland, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and Ireland have warned citizens about travelling to the US. Trump’s Presidential Order.
