Responsible Travel reports sharp drop in US enquiries
Responsible Travel has sold more holidays to Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran than to the US this month.
The Brighton-based company said enquiries for the US are down 22% this year to date, while overall business to other destinations is up 30%.
Meanwhile, enquiries about travel to Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran are 176% up. The Foreign Office advises against travel to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a blog on the Responsible Travel website, co-founder Justin Francis said reasons for the decline in interest in travel to the US could include ethical concerns about the Trump presidency, particularly his attempt to impose a temporary ban on citizens of seven mainly Muslim countries.
However, he said there might be other reasons, such as the cost of the dollar and concerns that Trump’s proposed ‘extreme vetting’ might create delays at immigration.
"Our feeling is that the US tourism economy is likely to have a very poor year, and our belief is that other businesses will soon start reporting declines," wrote Francis.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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