New Rules for Traveling to America

Since Donald Trump has become President, we’ve already seen a huge number of changes implemented, and it is certain to be just the beginning. The most internationally-rocking change Trump tried to implement was the Muslim travel ban, which began as a so-called security measure and instantly resulted in racial profiling. However, the travel-industry tycoon is said to be in favour of America’s tourism, and so it’ll be interesting to see whether travelling to and from America will be made harder by the legislation that the President can make.

Travelling To The United States

The process of entering the United States is already getting more difficult, with the Muslim travel ban being just one of the many legislations that Trump is set to put in place. With the wall supposedly being built on the Mexican border, and the fact that certain groups are likely to be targeted when it comes to visiting the States, there could be a negative impact on tourism in the country.

Visas

Everyone entering the US needs to get some form of visa, but there are a select few countries that benefit from the Visa Waiver Program. This allows certain member countries specified by the US to enter the country without needing to go through a grueling process of interviews and questions, alongside endless amounts of documentation. The Visa Waiver Program allows participants to fill out a US visa application online quickly and easily. 60% of America’s visitors are from countries who benefit from this program, but Trump is still considering making changes to the way that it works. For example, he is considering putting ideological tests into the application, and this could cause some problems for those looking to travel.

Relationship With Great Britain

The majority of America’s tourism comes from countries that benefit from the Visa Waiver program, and that includes Great Britain. Trump has already suggested that the relationship between the US and the UK is a ‘special, special one’ and because of this it is highly unlikely that he will ever place restrictions on British citizens when it comes to travelling to the US. However, the calm waters may be rippled by a storm as the UK government have been forced to debate whether they should even allow the President to come to the UK on a state visit, after a petition of over 2 million people demanded that he was banned. This special relationship between the two countries could ultimately be split, which could lead to much tighter restrictions.

Economy

The dollar fell very quickly in America after Trump was announced President, and while this may have many tourists cheering thinking they can get more for their money, this may mean that the cost of amenities when visiting the US could increase. The state of the economy will be ever changing, and will probably be at its most volatile for a long time under Trump due to the rash decisions he tends to make. Nevertheless, he is set on helping to improve the economy by focusing on infrastructure, and with the proposed plans for better airports, travelling to the US might not be so tough after all.