Europeans avoiding the US as a travel destination: “I cannot trust the government of the United States”

Though President Trump has denied the relationship between the poor treatment of tourists at U.S. border checkpoints and a decrease in travel from Western Europe, the data paints a different story. Compared to levels in March 2024, visitors to the U.S. were down by 10% during the same month this year.

As the White House’s persecution of immigrants continues, and horror stories of tourists entering the country begin to circulate, it is not a surprise that fewer people are choosing to visit the U.S. One of those stories is the case of Becky Burke, 28, who was looking to travel around the United States and Canada earlier this year. When attempting to enter Canada, she was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials and questioned about her time in the U.S. These officials determined that the informal work Burke had done while in the U.S., which amounted to a few hours of labor in exchange for lodging, violated the conditions of her ESTA visa. She was taken into custody, where she spent nearly 20 days in a detention center in Takoma, Washington. Burke described the horrible conditions of the processing facility while adding that many of the inmates told her that she was at one of the better facilities. She was released a day after the British consulate had emailed ICE about her detention, which an officer in the facility told her had moved her case to the “top of the pile.”

Burke’s parents were interviewed by Good Morning Britain during her detention, and they issued a strong warning to those considering a trip to the US, based on their daughter’s experience.

One potential visitor to the US, Robert Christiansen, a Dane, whose daughter is studying in Dallas, Texas, said that he had changed his plans, in light of the stories of travelers and the rhetoric coming from the WHite House. Christiansen, who posts news updates on his social media accounts, was worried that the content could make him a target of immigration officials. “I cannot trust the government of the United States,” said Christiansen to CNN.

Travel by Canadians to the US drops dramatically

Additionally, the Trump administration’s decision to impose sweeping tariffs on imports has led to an increase in nationalist sentiments, particularly in Canada. Travel to the U.S. from its northern neighbor dropped by 17% in March 2025 compared to the same month a year earlier, with many Canadians stating that as long as President Trump is in power, they will not visit the U.S.

In addition to the announcement that the White House would impose tariffs on Canada, President Trump has also taunted its neighbors, referring to the country as the 51st state and calling former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “Governor Trudeau.” These attacks have not been taken lightly; Canadian shoppers have boycotted U.S. brands and reduced their travel to the country.

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