Donald Trump is a figure that provokes strong opinions and reactions around the globe. How will his return to office affect international travelers’ plans to visit the US? Whom will the Trump presidency attract and whom will it repel?
YouGov asked audiences in 16 different markets whether they’d be more or less likely to consider visiting America on their next international trip following the November 2024 presidential election. When analyzing these results, it’s worth noting that not all respondents were planning travel or had the election in mind when we posed the question. The election’s influence on opinion is also likely to change over time. With these caveats in mind, this is what audiences in 16 global markets said.
Who’s coming to America?
Among all global respondents, the largest number, 43%, remain indifferent to Trump’s presidency when considering travel to the US. Yet, the overall sentiment leans towards the negative, with 35% indicating they are less likely to visit under his leadership, compared to 22% who are attracted by it.
Age appears to play a substantial role in travel intentions, with younger people more open to visiting Trump’s America. A third of global adults under 34 (32%) say they’re more likely to visit following the election, slightly more than the 29% who say they’re less likely to visit. Internationals over 55+ are much more averse, with 45% saying they’re less likely to visit and only 11% saying they’re more likely to do so.
Country- and region-specific reactions also vary dramatically. Asian markets tend to be relatively more open to visiting the US. In the UAE, a majority of 55% claim they are more likely to visit, a sentiment echoed by 53% in India. Singapore is something of a regional outlier with nearly half (46%) saying they’re less likely to travel to the US.
European countries show strong resistance, with notable majorities in nations like Sweden (50%), Denmark (44%), and Germany (39%) being less inclined to travel to the US. Among European nations, only Poland has more people who are more inclined to travel to the US (24%) than are disinclined (20%).
Mexican passport-holders more likely to visit
Trump’s election appears to have provoked some negative reactions from the US’s North American neighbours. To the south, 36% of Mexicans say they’re less likely to visit following the election with 44% of Canadians saying the same. However, these opinions are not evenly shared within these countries.
In Mexico, the negative reaction to Trump’s election is concentrated among those who do not have an active passport, among whom nearly half (47%) are less likely to visit. However, since these people do not have the travel documents necessary to enter the US, these intentions will have little effect on US tourism. Among Mexicans who do have an active passport, 42% say they are more likely to visit, more than twice as many as those who are more likely to avoid the US (21%).
Canadian women less likely to travel to Trump’s America
Canadian passport holders are more open to US travel than those without active passports, but to a much lesser degree than in Mexico. In Canada, however, gender differences are more pronounced.
Half of Canadian women (49%) who hold active passports say they’re less likely to travel to America for their next trip. This compares to a still significant 34% of men. Conversely, many more men say they’re more likely (28%) than women (13%) to visit.
Survey results suggest that the re-election of Donald Trump has apparently shaped international perspectives on traveling to the United States. However, understanding how political changes translate into travel choices requires a nuanced analysis of different audiences.