Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
Is the United States Turning Into a “Shithole” Country? The Decline in Foreign Tourism
Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
Foreign tourism in the United States has declined sharply in the months since Donald Trump was elected. While Trump might say he is making America great again, it looks like people living outside the country feel otherwise. In the five months since it peaked in December, real spending by foreign tourists in the United States fell 9.0 percent. This is a 20.1 percent annual rate of decline.

It looks like foreigners are voting with their feet against Donald Trump’s America. This sharp decline comes despite the fact that the dollar has fallen considerably against the euro and other major currencies, making visits to the United States cheaper for people living in other countries.
The drop in foreign tourism also comes after a rising post-pandemic trend. Real spending in December 2024 was 7.6 percent higher than the December 2023 level. Trump and his loyal followers might think America is now great, but the rest of the world doesn’t seem to agree.