How The Consumer Media Views Election’s Impact On Travel

As the travel industry absorbed the meaning of last week’s election results, consumer media across the globe began their assessment of the impact a Trump presidency might have on travel.

Travel + Leisure magazine asked the question ”Will Tourism to the U.S. Slow Under Trump?” and came away with an article that really didn’t answer it. They quoted a Travelzoo executive stating that “we are now forecasting an unstable 2017 for US tourism, with over one million U.K. travellers set to reconsider the country as a holiday destination” as a result of Donald J. Trump being elected.

Similarly, The New York Times asked “What Impact Will Trump Have on Tourism?” The newspaper published the thoughts of a handful of experts on subjects ranging from foreign travel to the United States, Americans traveling abroad, access to Cuba, the cost of airfare, and Trump Hotels.

Online travel publication Skift reported that many in the industry are anxious about the new administration. “No one can forecast the future, but at a minimum, there are concerns that new U.S. security policies could hinder immigration and inbound tourism from Mexico,” Skift wrote. It captured the comments of a wide variety of leaders from companies like Expedia Inc., Priceline, hotels and airlines.

The Florida Sun-Sentinel, with an audience heavily dependent on a robust travel industry, said “South Florida business leaders are expressing cautious optimism that Donald Trump's election will further bolster the healthy economy they've enjoyed since recovering from the Great Recession.”

Overseas, The Daily Telegraph in Australia said that having someone with hospitality experience might enhance travel between the two countries. Meanwhile, a prominent Tasmanian economist told the local Australian ABC network that despite his campaign commentary, the president elect had been more conciliatory in his acceptance speech and “may govern in a very different way to the way that he's campaigned. If that turns out to be the case then some of Mr. Trump's policies, for example the increased spending on infrastructure, could have a positive impact on US economic growth."