The former president will return to the White House after huge swathes of the US voted for the Republican candidate on Tuesday (5 November), leaving the rest of the world wondering what might be the wider implications of a second Trump presidency.
For the UK travel industry, some suggest it could mean a lull in tourism to America. “I think Trump’s win will give people pause for thought,” said Alicia Sharpe, managing director of Bradford-on-Avon-based Luxeco Holidays.
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“My clients tend to be 60-plus, educated and follow politics. At the end of the day, if they really want to travel to the US, then I think they will – but I do think in the short term, it will put people off.”
Sharpe admitted she herself would not feel comfortable promoting the US in the immediate future, and suggested Canada might see a boost instead. “I’m not going to actively promote America," she said. "As a person of colour, I wouldn’t feel comfortable. I think we could see Canada having a bounce in visitors instead.”
Travel Counsellor Marie Rowe agreed. She said she typically sells US city breaks and road trips, and admitted the ramifications of a Trump victory "had crossed my mind”.
“I think that people will initially be cautious about booking the US," she said. "Normally clients would tend to book their US breaks in January so time will tell."
She added: "But I do think it will give people pause for thought – especially the LGBTQ+ community and people of colour.”
However, Rowe acknowledged the wider geo-political situation might yet impact clients’ decisions. “Given what’s going on in the rest of the world, especially in the Middle East, I do think ultimately that the US will still be popular due to a lack of alternatives."
Other agents were more optimistic, suggesting the US election result was unlikely to affect their businesses.
Graeme Brett, owner of South Shields-based Westoe Travel, said that while he was surprised at the result, he didn’t anticipate it having an impact. “Nobody seems to have mentioned it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Phil Nuttall, owner of Blackpool-based Travel Village, added: “History tells me the ruling power of a country doesn’t influence most people’s decision on whether to visit that destination”.
Another ‘Trump slump’?
When Trump was first named president back in 2016, “the country witnessed a so-called "Trump slump" as tourists stayed away.
In 2017, the US saw a 2% drop in arrivals as Trump’s ban on travel for people from certain Middle East countries began to bite.
And even by 2018, data released by ForwardKeys showed bookings in the first two months of the year were effectively flat to the destination following a fall of 0.02%.
