As Franck Verhaeghe and two associates deliberate a March journey to Mexico Metropolis, Mexico they plotted out not solely the place they might keep and which museums they might go to but in addition the language they might converse: French.
“It’s not that I feel it’s unsafe for People,” mentioned Verhaeghe, 65, who lives in California, the USA, however “… I can think about individuals there aren’t very pleased with us.
“So my associates and I made a decision that on this journey, we’d all simply converse French to one another.”
Two months into his second time period, US president Donald Trump has set off panic in Europe in regards to the potential collapse of alliances; impressed boycotts of American merchandise in Canada; heightened tensions between Denmark and Greenland over the island’s independence; and prompted protests in Istanbul and Panama over the potential for US territorial enlargement.
His proposals are additionally making some People rethink their journey plans.
Behaviour changes
Because the inauguration, some businesses are noticing a drop in gross sales for worldwide journey by People. Tour operators are fielding inquiries from prospects involved about how they are going to be acquired overseas. The chance administration firm International Rescue not too long ago carried out a survey that discovered that 72% of “skilled” US travellers anticipated People to be much less welcome overseas this yr.
The nervousness doesn’t appear to have translated into widespread cancellations, however social media and journey boards are full of People asking variations of, “Will they hate us?”
Christine Bauer, a retiree from New Hampshire who’s planning a visit to France, requested travellers on a Rick Steves’ Europe discussion board for perception into how the French have been responding to American international coverage adjustments. Just a few days later, she grew extra fearful when “Trump and Musk started insulting NATO and allied international locations”.
She and her husband haven’t made any adjustments “at the least for now”, however they’re “hoping that journey doesn’t change into extra unsafe”.
Vicci Jaffe, 68, has second ideas about an tour to Berlin, Germany this fall. Her concern stems not solely from the rise of the far proper in Germany, but in addition from political adjustments at house.
“How will I be regarded whereas in Berlin?” she requested. “On the very least, I’m embarrassed, but in addition now afraid of retribution or violence.”
Some individuals, together with Verhaeghe, who’s travelling to Mexico utilizing his second passport (it’s European), are adjusting their behaviour. Cheryl Carlson, 63, an educator in Chicago, Illinois, plans to disclose her nationality forward of time to the house owners of the lodging she and her husband will probably be staying in throughout a visit to Canada. That is “… to ensure our presence wouldn’t trigger a small enterprise to really feel uncomfortable internet hosting us.”
Peter Serkian, 60, who travels to Canada twice a month from Michigan, pays in Canadian {dollars}, not US {dollars}. “I attempt to disguise that I’m an American,” he mentioned.
Feeling spooked
These measures are preventive – not one of the interviewees for this text have truly skilled anti-American sentiment. However the nervousness is taking its toll. Cameron Hewitt, content material and editorial director for Rick Steves’ Europe, has seen a dip in guidebook gross sales, “actually beginning the day of the inauguration”, he mentioned.
Lisa Wirth, proprietor of Ataxito which presents excursions to Oaxaca, Mexico, mentioned that some potential company are feeling spooked. “We had a number of American travellers determine to cancel a week-long tour in February, both as a result of the journey companions that they had deliberate on travelling with backed out as a result of considerations relating to security in Mexico or as a result of the present administration and their anxiousness round it triggered them to pause any journey choices within the quick time period,” she mentioned.
Others are suspending due to “considerations relating to inflation and job losses”.
Jack Ezon, founding father of Embark Past, a New York-based luxurious journey firm, had a shopper cancel a visit to Mexico. “They have been doing a birthday journey and had booked out the entire lodge,” he mentioned. “However this was proper after the entire tariff factor, and their safety crew mentioned, ‘Don’t go, there’s anti-American sentiment, it’s going to be too harmful’.”
That worry has not been borne out within the expertise of different purchasers, mentioned Ezon, who added that bookings to Mexico have rebounded. And gross sales to Europe are booming. “Ever since Covid-19, the restoration from disaster is rather a lot sooner,” he mentioned.
It’s onerous to pinpoint the trigger for travellers’ unease. Aircraft crashes, tariffs and inventory market instability have contributed, mentioned Jeff Roy, government vice chairman of the tour firm Collette.
“We’ve been a little bit bit behind for the final 4 to 5 weeks from what we have been producing final yr presently,” Roy mentioned. “There’s a lot swirling round proper now, it’s actually onerous to know precisely what’s inflicting the change.”
What Roy describes as “delicate trepidation” is taking part in out extra in nervous calls than in cancellations. And since many bookings are made far upfront, he’s not too fearful about this yr. If the uncertainty continues, he mentioned, “I don’t learn about 2026.”
Apparently, a lot of individuals needed to know extra about Greenland after Trump introduced that the US needed to ‘purchase’ the territory.
Surprising curiosity
Just a few locations have skilled elevated curiosity since Trump took workplace. After he mentioned that he needed the US to “purchase” Greenland – one among The New York Occasions’ “52 locations to go in 2025” – the Greenland vacationer authority mentioned it was seeing proof of “piqued curiosity in regards to the vacation spot”.
The brand new consideration has had an identical impact on Panama, whose canal Trump has mentioned he needs the US to “reclaim”. Carlos Ivan Espinosa, the proprietor of Panama Canal Excursions, mentioned his firm has skilled a big enhance in bookings by US vacationers. “Trump’s declarations,” he mentioned, “are awakening curiosity.”
That isn’t to say there haven’t been protests in opposition to American rhetoric, notably in Canada, the place residents have objected to Trump’s tariffs in addition to his expressed want to show the nation into “the 51st state”.
However these protests aren’t directed in opposition to American people, mentioned Donna Salter, a retired journalist in Vancouver. She, like many Canadians, is swearing off journey to the US at some stage in this administration however welcomes People. “We love People and we additionally love the American greenback, particularly now,” Salter mentioned.
Not all foreigners are receptive. One TikTok consumer in Scotland advised “MAGA vacationers” that they don’t seem to be welcome, and a farmer on the Danish island of Bornholm terminated an settlement he had with a US journey company to obtain vacationers in his house for espresso and a chat.
Panama has skilled a big enhance in tour and lodge bookings from People. — Pictures: Pixabay
“I might really feel ridiculous if I needed to focus on democracy with representatives of such a authorities,” Knud Andersen, the farmer, advised the Danish broadcaster DR.
On a visit to Italy, California-based Rebecca Andersons and her household had a taxi driver whose criticisms of American politics began with former US president Ronald Reagan and ended with Trump. Andersons advised him they have been “too younger to vote for Reagan and really are Californians who voted for Harris”.
Apparently forgiven, they later discovered themselves singing together with the motive force to Volare.
Different People are adopting ways designed to deflect criticism, like answering the query “The place are you from?” with their state’s title. Sue Rook Nichols from California ordered buttons off Etsy that learn, “I didn’t vote for him.” She plans to put on them on a visit to Europe.
The ways might not be crucial. Mariana Hamman, who owns a tour company in Mexico, mentioned that none of her colleagues had reported encountering anti-American sentiment.
“Typically you see ‘Go house, gringo’ graffiti,” she mentioned. “However that’s about overtourism, not politics.”
When David Rojas-Klein, of California, travelled to Mexico not too long ago, his expectation that he would “see one thing anti-American” by no means materialised. “What I realized was that individuals make a distinction between the American individuals and the American authorities.”
The worry that individuals in different international locations will equate them with their politicians’ actions is a peculiarly American anxiousness, one which additionally surfaced throughout the Gulf Struggle, mentioned Hewitt of Rick Steves’ Europe.
“When you have a look at historical past, most European international locations have had expertise with a ruler who, particularly looking back, they’re not notably happy with.”
Bo Albertus, a 57-year-old faculty principal in Denmark, agrees. He administers a Danish Fb group, 89,000 robust, that’s devoted to boycotting American merchandise. However Americans are welcome in his nation, Albertus mentioned.
“The Danish individuals don’t have an issue with People. We’ve got an issue with the American administration.”
Even a vacationer in a MAGA hat can be handled wonderful, he added, “As a result of in Denmark, now we have freedom of speech.” – LISA ABEND/©2025 The New York Occasions Firm
This text initially appeared in The New York Times.
