Trump’s trade war has a new victim: workers traveling for business in the United States

Business trips to the United States fell by 9% in April while companies and workers took –Economic uncertaintyand anger about theTrump’s Administration’s Ratesand border policies.

The National Travel and Tourism Office on Thursday published preliminary figures showing the number of passengers of the airline and the boat who entered the country last month through business visas.

The Middle East was the only region that saw the highest businesstravelIn the United States, with arrivals 9.4% until April 2024. But this did not mean great loss of other regions; The number of business passengers in Western Europe fell by 17.7%, for example.

The new government data did not include people from Canada by business or who traveled through the land of Mexico. The government said that Mexican arrivals by air for business visas dropped by 11.8%.

And usuallyTravel from CanadaHe also fell in April. According to Statistics Canada, the return trips of Canadian residents through the United States air fell by 20% in April, while travel trips by car dropped by 35%.

Business tripsin the USAmaintained betterthan the leisure journeyIn the first quarter of the year. According to the United States Government, more than 1.2 million passengers entered the United States through business visas in the January-March period, 7% more than the previous year. The number of travelers using tourist visas fell by 6%.

But this flew in April, as the Easter holidays probably encouraged more leisure trips. International travelers with tourist visas increased by 13.8% in April.

It is unclear if this trend will be maintained. Cirium, an aviation analytics company, said that an analysis of the online travel agency data stated that Europe’s advance reserves in 14 North -American cities in June, July and August dropped by 12% over the same months of last year.

Several Air Companies in the United States haveremoved his financial forecastsDuring the year, citing the weakest uncertainty and demand for low -price leisure travelers. Many industry experts believe that business trips to the United States will continue to decrease in the coming months.

Leslie Andrews, a worldwide travel leader for the real estate company JLL and a member of the Council of the Global Business Travel Foundation, said that he thinks that corporate travel in the United States will slow down in the second and third quarter of the year as the complete impact of economic and geopolitical volatility is inclined.

“What I am feeling is” things were good in the first quarter “, but in the second quarter it is a matter of” Do you have to make this trip? “, Andrews said.” The reins are pulling a bit to ensure that only trips with intention as things grow and evolve. “

BT4EROPE, a business travel association, said companies are increasingly concerned with unpredictable procedures for entering the United States andRisk of arrestEspecially for LGBTQ+ or for those who have stated political opinions on social media.

Kevin Haggarty usually travels to the United States from Canada several times a year to attend lounges in Atlanta or Las Vegas or to visit suppliers in Los Angeles. But his concerns about crossing the border will prevent him from making these trips this year.

Haggarty, owner of a company that sells gifts and memories, said that Canadian retailers no longer want merchandise created by the United States. Its north -Americans are struggling to keep — Fleet becauseU.S. ratesabout productsmade in China. It is especially concerned with the reports of international travelers arrested at the United States border.

“Honestly, my nervousness and my reluctance to cross -me in the United States come from this more than any hostility in the North -American Market,” said Haggrate, who lives in Halifax, New Scotland.

Suzanne Neafang, director general of Global Business Travel, said that a survey of more than 900 members of the association last month showed that almost a third was waiting for a decrease in world travel volumes this year.

Nefang said Canadian members were the most pessimistic, and 71% said they expect a decrease in the trip this year.

“Uncertainty is unforgettable for a business travel sector that likes to be safe and likes to be efficient,” he said.

A abandonment in business trips would represent a setback for the US travel industry and cities that host international conventions and fairs. The global global business travel sector of $ 1.6 million returned to normal after Covid-19 pandemic. Nefang said that spending on American business travel reached pre-discs in 2023, while the rest of the world did so last year.

Brett Sterenson, the President of Hotel Lobbists, a Washington company that helps groups reserving hotels for meeting and conferences, said he was losing international business, as some countries warn travelers who do not visit the United States.

Sterenson said that US government cuts also hurt business. He works with various groups that offer international exchange programs through the State Department. The programs host travelers from Africa, Latin America, South -East Asian and other places, and share good practices about things such as energy policy and environmental management. But with financing cuts, this part of his business dropped by 75%.

“These exchanges were useful in spreading goodwill, but also in educating developing nations on good government,” said Sterenson.

Haggraty, in Canada, said he canceled a trip to a fair in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and said that several retailers he worked with also removed. It is now looking for England, France, Spain and other markets to sell goods.

“It’s unfortunate. It’s much easier to bring products to Canada from the United States, but we are in a corner,” he said. “I want people to know how much this administration does to their relationships worldwide.”

This story originally presented to Fortune.com

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