Tourism Takes a Patriotism Pill: America Fumbles $90 Billion Because Feelings

WASHINGTON, DC — In an inspiring act of economic self-harm dressed as flag-waving exceptionalism, the United States is preparing to graciously lose billions in international tourism revenue because it's very important to be rude at customs, threaten allies, and make it weird for Canadians buying cheese.

According to the International Trade Administration, arrivals of non-citizens by plane fell almost 10% this March compared to last year. Goldman Sachs estimates that if this trend holds, the U.S. could lose about $90 billion in GDP. But don't worry—experts say we can definitely make that up by monetizing rage tweets and selling commemorative coins from failed coups.

"America is becoming the world's most expensive escape room. You enter for leisure, you leave with trauma," said nobody official, but definitely somebody wise.

Tourist Declares Emotional Independence from U.S.; Hits Back with Hiking Boots and Grocery Ethics

Meet Curtis Allen, a Canadian videographer who was once guilty of nothing more than having the audacity to enjoy Oregon. That ended when President Trump declared economic war on maple syrup and floated the idea of annexing Canada like it was a Costco aisle. Allen has since rerouted his vacation to British Columbia, where people still believe healthcare is a right and tourists aren't pre-criminals.

"We’re not just staying home," said Allen, 34. "We’re going to go spend the same money somewhere else."

Which, for context, is the economic version of breaking up with someone who called your mother a socialist.

He's also canceled Netflix and avoids American grocery imports like they’re carrying cultural salmonella. That means no Oreos, no Pop-Tarts, and no Cheetos-dusted hegemony.

"Now it takes us double the time, because we’re looking at where the products came from," he added, proving that ethical shopping is the new cardio.

Tourism Tanks as U.S. Perfects the Art of Welcoming Visitors with a Rubber Glove and a Snarl

In 2024, international visitors spent a record $254 billion in the U.S., which officials predicted would soar even higher in 2025. But those projections were published before border patrol agents started mistaking European grandmothers for sleeper cells and the government began treating every customs line like a scene from Homeland.

Canadian hospitals and pension managers are now literally telling people not to go to America unless they enjoy strip searches and rhetorical waterboarding.

Bloomberg Intelligence estimates that $20 billion in retail spending is now at risk. But hey, at least we’ll still have American-made boots to shoot ourselves in.

Airfares, hotels, and car rentals are all mysteriously cheaper, which economists call a "demand-side phenomenon" and the rest of us call "you scared the French."

When tourists stay home, they take their money with them. That means fewer jobs, fewer tips, and more Americans learning the true meaning of "staycation" as a euphemism for unpaid unemployment.

Helicopter Company Invests $25M Just in Time for Tourists to Flee in All Directions

According to Inflation Insights president Omair Sharif, Northeast hotel rates fell by almost 11%—a drop attributed to Canadians refusing to spend their loonies in the land of liberty-themed cavity checks.

"That’s potentially a bit worrying for that region," said Sharif, with the tone of a man watching a slow-motion car crash while legally obligated to call it a "traffic event."

Rainbow Air Helicopter Tours in Niagara Falls just dropped $25 million on an enhanced fleet and VR attraction. Their timing is impeccable—right up there with investing in Blockbuster after Netflix launched.

"We are waiting to see the fallout," said Patrick Keyes, sounding like a Cold War historian instead of a guy who sells aerial joyrides over a river.

Canadian flight bookings are down 70%. European bookings are down 25%. The vibe is "welcome to America—no refunds, no reentry."

It’s as if America got invited to the global potluck and decided to throw meat at the vegans, then sued the host.

U.S. to Global Tourists: Give Us Your Money, Then Get in the Bag

Even Goldman Sachs is worried. Economists Joseph Briggs and Megan Peters wrote: "US tariff announcements and a more aggressive stance toward historical allies have hurt global opinions about the US."

Translated: The U.S. is becoming that friend who shows up to brunch, berates the waiter, and still wants to split the bill.

Despite all this, Oregon’s tourism board continues to market itself internationally with the dogged optimism of someone trying to sell sunscreen during a volcanic eruption. They’re still pitching to the UK, India, and Brazil like it’s business as usual, bless their rain-soaked hearts.

"Oregon is not and will not take its eye off those international markets," said Travel Oregon CEO Todd Davidson, presumably while gently weeping into a Birkenstock catalog.

Foreign tourism was the one bipartisan economic win we had left. It was simple: let people in, take their money, smile. Now we’ve taken that, wrapped it in xenophobia, and set it on fire at the airport.

The U.S. didn’t lose tourism dollars. It drove them away in a big Freedom Truck blaring Lee Greenwood and honking at the Eiffel Tower. But sure, keep wondering why GDP is slouching toward irrelevance while chanting “USA” at every customs cavity search.

Final Analysis

America: once a global beacon, now the motel where the neon sign flickers "VACANCY" and the concierge has pepper spray.