The U.S. Immigration Service has deported two young female tourists from Germany after they arrived in Hawaii for a five-week vacation. The women, who failed to secure accommodations, ended up in a deportation detention facility rather than enjoying the beach.
This incident is part of a broader pattern. Earlier, a European tourist was deported from San Diego, while another was detained when attempting to enter the U.S. from Canada, spending 19 days in detention.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump took personal charge of border security, a “zero tolerance” policy has been enforced, leading to a rise in deportations. Consequently, more tourists are choosing to avoid traveling to the U.S. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports a 28% decline in German tourists in March, with a 17% drop from Western Europe, a 24% decrease from Central America, and an 11% reduction from China.
Yukka Lahtimäki, a professor at New York University, warned BILD that the tourism industry could lose up to $120 billion annually if this trend continues.
The expert believes that the “fear factor” from recent arrests and deportations is largely responsible for the decline in tourism:
“Such fears do not disappear overnight — the consequences will be long-term!”
Canadians are among the most likely to cut back on U.S. visits. As the country previously accounted for the most frequent travelers to the U.S. — with 20.2 million visits in 2024 — interest has now dropped by 36%. One airline reported a 40% decrease in bookings for flights from Canada to the U.S.
