Overall average interest in flying to the US declined 17% from the three weeks before Trump’s inauguration to two weeks afterward, Hopper said, based on weekly averages of an analysis of billions of global flight searches. Trump signed an executive order temporarily banning residents of seven Muslim-majority countries a week after he was inaugurated.
Last year during the same period, interest in flying to the US fell 1.8%, suggesting that the recent downturn is much more than just a seasonal fluctuation.
I wouldn’t place the blame squarely on an administration change. Brexit has had a huge impact and the dollar is stronger than it has been for over a decade. Canadians and EU residents are visiting less than ever because the USA used to be a cheap place to go buy a ton of crap for your family. It’s not like that anymore.
But, I won’t deny that the nationalism exhibited by our leadership leaves a sour taste in people’s mouths.