Q – (12.3.24) – Given all that is involved in traveling overseas on vacation about twice a year, and as a former engineer with a wife who is a CPA, we like to plan our travels almost two years out. As we look at 2026 and beyond, we are struck that neither traveltruth or any of the other major travel sites that we follow seems to have any concerns, as we do, that a Trump presidency, given his criminality and tendency to pull away from support of Europe and Ukraine, will result in waves of anti-tourist and anti-American feelings of a level that could make it really uncomfortable for Americans traveling abroad. You seem unafraid about taking on tough travel industry issues but we wonder why you have been so silent on this one? How do you see Americans being greeted in Spain and Italy, for instance, during the next four years?
A – You are projecting something that might happen. There is no solid evidence that we have seen that indicates that Europe, or any other part of the world for that matter, will turn its back and put up the “Unwelcome” signs for American tourists spending American dollars in their countries, because we have just elected a government that is to the “right” of what we had. Our clients traveling within Europe since the election are not experiencing any anti-American manifestations.
Yes, there are over-tourism demonstrations in major Italian cities. There were some American tourists who were sprayed with water pistols as they sat in cafes along Laa Ramblas in Barcelona. But the kind of anti-American political rallies you suggest have just not happened. Not yet. That is probably why travel writers, most of whom are rewarded with free trips for every story they publish, have not tried to look ahead to judge what might happen under the Trump second reign.
But you need to also put this into some kind of perspective. As American drifts toward the right so has large sections of Europe. Italy now has a right-wing government, Hungary has a very right-wing government, and the “Right” has made steady progress where their cooperation is now required to form any kind of viable coalition, in France. So are the Europeans in any position to rally against our domestic politics?
From our research, you may have a point. And that is the other side of the coin. Off the record, we know that two major tour operators are increasing the number of domestic tour programs they will be offering in 2026 while reducing some international destination departures. In other words, although it has not yet been reported in the travel press, there are some interesting assumptions being made at the highest industry levels that international travel for Americans may well decrease under Trump.
Our Senior Editor, Richard Turen, reports that several industry leaders are concerned about the way American tourists may be greeted abroad in the near-future. The specifics cited in private, off-the-record interviews, involve the likelihood that before too long video of illegal immigrants being rounded up, placed in detention camps, and forcibly sent back to their country of origin, may dominate news coverage in major European capitals. The widespread video leading newscasts and major news apps may, it is thought, trigger a level of anti-American feelings we have not seen before. This will start in universities and then spread is the dominant theory. But this is just theoretical at this point.
If the United States does, indeed, as threatened, pull out of the NATO Alliance, that could also create high levels of anti-American feelings in Europe. We have, after all, for better or worse, established ourselves as Europe’s defender.
You ask why we have been “silent” on this issue. Traveltruth is a consumer-based Q&A site with no ads or PR phony hype. We try to respond to all questions asked. Ours is not a “political” site. There are more than enough of those. But the real reason we have been quiet on this issue is that, thus far, there is little evidence of the kind of anti-American behavior you are suggesting. It is interesting to note that some major travel firms seem to be planning for the eventuality of increasing anti -American tourist sentiment. But even there – let’s be careful about drawing assumptions. We know that a strong anti-tourist movement already exists in many major tourist centers abroad. But anti-tourist or anti-cruise sentiment is not necessarily directed at American citizens or a particular brand of politics.
