USA Travel in Flux: Between Political Uncertainty and Attractive Prices – Insights from a Travel Expert

Tilo Krause-Dünow, a North America travel expert at Canusa Touristik, observes a remarkable shift in the transatlantic travel market. While Canada is experiencing an unprecedented boom, the US travel business is contending with the aftermath of political turbulence. Yet, there are also positive surprises.

In 2025, the USA was the only country globally to report a decline in tourism spending, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Krause-Dünow confirms that inquiries for USA trips at Canusa Touristik dropped by about ten percent, with a noticeable hesitancy following the Munich Security Conference. Nevertheless, the year concluded with only a minor deficit, thanks to long booking lead times – 80 percent of 2025 trips were already firmly booked before political uncertainty began. With approximately 1.7 million German tourists visiting the USA annually, the foundation remains stable.

For 2026, inquiries are also down by ten to twelve percent compared to the previous year, indicating continued reluctance. Customers are making their vacation decisions increasingly last-minute, attributed to global unrest. However, an optimistic sign is the rising "conversion rate": those who now express interest in a trip are more frequently proceeding with a booking.

Krause-Dünow addresses the question of whether USA trips can still be sold in good conscience, given potentially stricter entry regulations, with a pragmatic approach. He emphasizes staying factual: optional social media account checks are already common, but he considers a DNA submission extremely unlikely. Moreover, the USA utilizes the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) procedure, an app for digitally pre-submitting data, which significantly expedites entry – Krause-Dünow himself recently cleared customs in under five minutes. This system stands in contradiction to any development towards a "black box" at the border.

Political news influences travel decisions: approximately ten to fifteen percent of travelers are currently pausing their USA travel plans due to media reports. The often-cited number of denied entries is frequently due to individuals lacking the correct visas for their specific intentions. Lufthansa data even indicates a roughly 15 percent decrease in problem cases at US borders for passengers on their flights.

Meanwhile, Canada is experiencing a significant upswing, with nearly 20 percent more bookings for 2026. This trend, however, is not solely attributable to "Trump protest" but to a general high demand since the pandemic. Canada remains a highly seasonal destination, whereas the USA, with regions like Florida or Hawaii, allows for year-round business.

A particularly attractive aspect is the current pricing: USA trips are as affordable as they haven't been in a long time. The weak dollar exchange rate and local price reductions combine to lower travel costs by approximately 15 to 20 percent compared to 2025. A significant factor is the decline in Canadian tourists by a good 28 percent, which frees up substantial hotel capacity. A slight weakening of domestic demand also contributes to driving down prices and enabling highly attractive rates.

Despite budget cuts for "Brand USA," the national tourism promotion initiative (from 100 million to 20 million dollars), Krause-Dünow sees no negative impact on collaboration. On the contrary, individual US states are compensating for this with significantly higher marketing subsidies and are very actively promoting their regions.

The upcoming FIFA World Cup in the USA in June is also creating movement. Initially, it led to extremely high hotel prices (up to $700 per night for two-star hotels). However, the situation is easing as FIFA is releasing blocked room allotments back to the market due to a lack of demand at such extreme prices.

His advice to the interim US Ambassador in Berlin, Alan Meltzer, is clear: explicitly signal to the German population, "You are still very welcome!" It must be clearly communicated that there is no resistance to tourism, which represents one of the country's most vital value chains, supporting 15.8 million jobs directly and indirectly, according to the U.S. Travel Association. A prominent culture of welcome is essential for this to continue.