Has the US Become a Hostile Environment for Tourists?

Detentions and deportations have cast an unflattering spotlight on the way the US treats visitors.

- Chris Bryant

Are foreign tourists still welcome in President Donald Trump's America? I'm starting to wonder after several cases of international visitors being detained for long periods in questionable circumstances. If this rough treatment continues, it won't just be travelers who suffer.

While the US has a duty to protect its borders and enforce the law, overseas tourists may become even more inclined to head elsewhere, threatening billions of dollars in domestic spending.

The Trump administration's tariff threats and hostility towards supposed allies have already made Canadians and Europeans wary about trips to the US (together, these two groups account for almost half of overseas visitors).

Worries about US air traffic safety and gun violence were bad enough, but now guests must also factor in the possibility of being locked up by their hosts.

It's hard to know if the recent unpleasantness involving Western visitors is just an unhappy coincidence or an extension of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, heightened border security and enhanced vetting of visa applicants.

While I don't know the specifics of each case, the public relations fallout has been considerable.

Following the two-week detention of a 25-year-old German, Mr Lucas Sielaff, amid a linguistic mix-up about where he lived and how long he planned to visit his American fiancée in Las Vegas, Germany's foreign office cautioned travelers last week that a visa or Electronic System For Travel Authorization waiver doesn't guarantee US entry.

Providing false information about the purpose of the visit or even slightly overstaying a visa can lead to detention, it added.

While there have been several incidents involving German citizens—including a green card holder—officials in Berlin emphasized their update didn't amount to an official US travel warning; but I can forgive travelers who might interpret it that way.