Drop-Off Pick-Up

I worry that in a few months we’ll be reading a lot of stories about another major hit to the American economy: a drop-off in international tourism. The warnings are already coming. NPR: “Some European countries, as well as Canada, are warning their citizens who travel to the United States to strictly follow the country’s entry rules or risk detention as the Trump administration cracks down on immigration enforcement.” And The Guardian: US tourism industry faces drop-off as immigration agenda deters travellers. There are the fears around detention risks, but the bigger numbers will be around those for whom the American brand is losing its luster.

+ Travel abroad from the US might pick up. At least one way traffic. “In February, Trump proposed that America start offering a U.S. ‘gold card’ for $5 million … But if Trump expects a flood of takers, he has it backwards: The international rich aren’t trying to come here, so much as Americans are trying to get out. U.S. citizens now represent the majority of clients looking for an exit, through foreign citizenship, permanent residence, or a visa that allows them to live abroad.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Americans Are Buying an Escape Plan.