President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he was not worried about falling visitor numbers to the United States, calling it “not a big deal” and expressing hope that a weaker dollar would help to reverse the decline.
Trump Blames Tourism Drop On Nationalism, Says It is “Not A Big Deal”
Earlier this week, I shared data from the International Trade Administration showing a steep decline in foreign tourism to the United States, particularly from Western Europe. Overall, foreign visitors flying into the US fell by almost 10% in March compared with March 2024. Asked this in the Oval Office during an impromptu chat with the press on Wednesday, April 24, 2025, President Trump did not appear concerned:
“There is a little nationalism there, I guess, perhaps. It is not a big deal.”
Later on, Trump voiced hope that the weaker US dollar would help spur tourism:
“It makes it very hard for us to get tourism, and our dollar is a little bit on the low side and that means that a lot of tourism is going to come in.
“But I can see a little bit of nationalism at work, and I can see it likewise with us—not wanting to go to certain countries. But that’ll work out very easily.”
A recent Skift survey found that for foreign travelers, the number one reason for not wanting to visit was the political climate.
Meanwhile, JPMorgan projects the drop in tourism would skim 0.1% from gross domestic product. While JPMorgan primarily blamed the new US tariff policy, it added: “Concerns around detentions of foreign visitors, sometimes by accident, are only compounding this effect.”
Asked about that, Trump said, “No, we treat our tourists great. We are the tourism capital of the world. There’s no place like this and there may be a little bit of nationalism, but I doubt it.”
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly later added, “President Trump’s agenda to make America wealthy, safe, and beautiful again benefits Americans and international visitors alike.”
CONCLUSION
President Trump believes that falling tourism numbers to the USA may be due to nationalism but are not a big deal and a weaker dollar will bring tourists back. He also believes that tourists are treated very well and the US is the “tourism capital of the world.”
Do you agree with the POTUS?
image: White House
Wow Matthew, you couldn’t WAIT to get this posted after seeing the comment on the other thread! Bravo!
I’ll say it. You don’t care that our own president doesn’t care about inbound tourism?
We have a president focused on low-interest rate real estate corporate America. By just about any other metric — he’s ignorant on just about any other impact to America’s economy.
Let’s hope the “normal” GOP finds their voice before it’s too late. I won’t keep my fingers crossed.
“our own president doesn’t care about inbound tourism”
Anti-Trumpers can’t go even a sentence without having to lie. Nowhere does Trump say he “doesn’t care” about tourism.
But the truth doesn’t fit your preferred narrative, hence the need to lie. Once you establish you’re a liar, there’s no need to listen to a word you say.
Be better.
So you enjoy high interest rates? The TDS is striking, take anything Trump wants and immediately oppose it regardless of the subject…brilliant
Were you one of the patriots telling Americans that life is about more than having money while the market was crashing? Sounds like you’re the one with TDS
Ummm Nope…. Your TDS is now conjuring up things that never happened in order to confirm your narrative…. That’s not good! You are approaching mental health crisis level.
Apologies that must have been another gay republican pilot with Trump Derangement Syndrome trying to justify tariffing penguins
Interest remaining low is not a sign of a strong economy. You lower interest to spur spending during a slowdown.
Like I said before, he should just rename his blog “Live and Let’s Trash Trump” for the next 4 years. Because obviously that’s basically what it’s going to be. The most entertaining thing will be watching how he manages to find a connection between his Trump trashing and a travel-related issue. The stretching and creativity is going to be epic. lol
As always, you have nothing substantive to add, just an absolutely telling and yet still pathetic defense mechanism equating any bad news to an attack on Trump. Here, I only quoted him…there was no attack.
It’s so sad how you bootlickers distort truth, even in this article. As if reporting facts…reporting the very words the POTUS says and even including video so you can see the entire context represents an “attack” against him.
So pathetic.
Not a thinking man’s president.
Any bets Mike also thinks Biden was one? rofl
Why bring him up other than Biden derangement syndrome?
If YOU were a thinking man you realize some of the busiest travel days of the year are the Thurs and Fri before Easter….Last year that occurred in March, this year it did not. Probably explains much of that drop. But you like to fall for narratives that confirm your bias.
Easter doesn’t even rank in the top 7 travel weekends of the year (TG, Christmas, NYE, 4th, Memorial, Labor, Spring Break). Who travels to the United States for Easter? Easter isn’t even a holiday in the United States. Where is this common?
It is significant if you listen to Airline quarterly earnings calls. It’s highlighted in all of them since the lead up days to Easter shifted from Q1 to Q2.
And yes, Easter is a public holiday in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom
It’s not in the top but it’s in there
https://www.booking.com/guides/article/flights/which-times-of-year-are-the-busiest-for-air-travel-in-the-us.html
He’s not a slick politician who gives slick answers. He’s also not very detail oriented, which is not good for a President. If someone is not detail oriented, then they must give clear direction and have exceptionally good staff. Bottom line is he is too old. He is starting to show very mild cognitive impairment, something Biden had, except more severe.
The problem in the US system is few politicians are good stewards of the economy. In contrast, Singapore is an outstanding steward of the economy transforming the country from a poor country on par with Malaysia, which it was expelled from, to one of the richest countries in the world. Singapore also packs its punch with defense. It has about the same population as the San Francisco metropolitan area but has far more F-15’s and F-16’s than are based in the entire states of California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
He also believes that: he’s smarter than EVERYONE else, he’s not a racist bigot, he’s won a bunch of golf tournaments, he’s honest, he has integrity and isn’t corrupt, he’s a great businessman, Mexico will pay for the wall, he won the 2020 election, tariffs are not a tax and are good for the economy, he has a healthy lifestyle, he’s handsome, he can touch women whenever and wherever he pleases, that Ukraine started the war, that Putin and Orban (and Hitler) are admirable people and leaders, that his detractors should all be locked up, that Hegseth and Kennedy are doing good jobs, that he’s not a fat ugly orange skinned POS, that he’s not a convicted felon, that he’s not a convicted sex criminal, he didn’t cheat on all 3 of his wives and 2 of them weren’t pregnant before their marriages, he’s a good representation for family values, that he’s not a nasty thin-skinned military service dodger, that he’s not a horrible human being, has admirable or redeeming qualities, it’s okay for his ilk to do exactly the same things he ranted that his opponents should be locked up for, that he’s not 100% corrupt, etc., etc.
Of course no other rational intelligent compassionate human being on the face of the earth believes any of what he believes. EVERYTHING he says is a lie and in an hour he’ll believe a whole different set of alternative facts.
Based on his complete and absolute detachment from reality he meets the diagnostic criteria for a psychotic psychiatric diagnosis. Anyone who supports him has a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome and is as much of a gullible stupid racist moron as he is.
again, did no one watch The Apprentice?
keep this in mind for those of you that think this man is interested in big business.
Do you not think that the vast majority of tourism is operated by big business – as in global airlines and lodging chains, mega entertainment companies like Disney.
He is interested in reshaping the global and US economy in the way HE thinks is best – but not sure for who.
He is attempting to reshape it solely for himself and his twisted friends. Which is why he is creating a perfect climate for, “1789.” And it will come in one form or another. Whether quietly or not, 1789 is coming,
Matthew, it’s disappointing you fail to mention much of that drop for March travel YOY was from the Thur and Friday before Easter being in March last year vs April this year. Definitely considered “peak” days by the airlines. Easily overlooked.
Since you posted the same comment twice, I will too:
Easter doesn’t even rank in the top 7 travel weekends of the year (TG, Christmas, NYE, 4th, Memorial, Labor, Spring Break). Who travels to the United States for Easter? Easter isn’t even a holiday in the United States. Where is this common?
Ohh look, then I guess I’ll reply here too
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom all have Easter as a Public/Bank holiday
The US is an outlier….perhaps you should travel more, it’ll break your incorrect pre conceived notions
EXACTLY
We’ll wait and see what April numbers look like.
I hope you’re right….will you admit it if you’re wrong?
For those in the travel “industry” concerned about decreased visitors/ profits remember the words of The Great and Powerful Joseph Biden……
Learn to Code!
JC Matthew what is it that makes you jump on the latest MSNBC/liberal ka-ka? A number of your previous tirades have been disproven and yet you continue to produce this crap on what I thought was a straight forward travel blog.
I don’t care for Trump-as I’ve said before some of his policies are horrendous- but you’re plainly obsessed.
Get over it.
I’m sure you could care less about US tourism figures (you can use more of your miles) and they will recover in a very few months at least. But you whine about the last three months as if you’re a victim of some sort. While flying Business or First Class all over the World.
You’re a rich LA liberal whether you care to admit it or not- and you don’t dare look outside the box.
BTW where’s your story on AOC flying private? Agenda driven much are you?
What is it that you object to? There is no opinion in my story…I’m just quoting Trump on a highly relevant topic to travel and even provide the video so you can watch it yourself. I don’t say “I agree” or “I disagree.” I even quote his spokesperson defending WH policy.
Did you actually read the story?!
I’ll ask you. Does any bad news equate to an attack on Trump? Why do you think this is an attack on Trump?
It’s all so juvenile on your part.
Dear Leader – Sure, a lot less people want to come here because I’ve made enemies out of every single one of our allies but just wait until I finish what I started and destroy the U.S. economy because THEN people will be swarming over here to spend lots because the dollar will be nearly worthless… at least those people we don’t throw into prison then deport just because we feel like it.
He would see this country burn if he could be king of the ashes.
Democrats have learned much since the last election. Pompous alienates. We did not listen to the rest of this country. This was our failure. And that is why this blog is important.
POTUS is telling all of us what he sees as important. We need to listen. And then react, focused. Not blinded by rage. As he has blinked on tariffs I hope most Americans ( and others) will quickly forget if the economy stabilizes. Tough times.
No one sees AOC as a threat. She and Bernie can fly a broom.