With the conflict between Iran and the joined forces of Israel and the United States now in its second month, we have seen its severe impact on the West Asian tourism sector, especially now that local businesses are seeing empty rooms and cancelled events.
Interestingly, West Asian tourism may not be the bigger loser under such circumstances; as of press time, global experts are also seeing a drop in the US’ popularity as a tourist destination.
To go by a recent report from international research firm Taylor & Francis, the role of the United States as one of the prime instigators of the conflict has thrown that country into hostile nation territory, something that has further exacerbated the impact of the numerous tariffs and immigration restrictions it has imposed in recent years.
In which case, what could the repercussions be for US inbound tourism and how big a drop are we looking at in the days to come?
The writing on the wall
In May 2025, long before the current conflict even came about, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecast that the United States stood to lose US$12.5 billion in tourism revenues by year’s end.
WTTC experts likewise pointed out that the 22.5 percent decline in tourism revenue would be a direct hit to the US economy as this would mean a loss of income and employment throughout all 50 states.
As a matter of fact, experts from Oxford Economics saw that the US was the only country out of the 184 covered by its joint study with the WTTC to see a decline in foreign visitor spending, the numbers driven down by the country’s hostile stance on immigration on the part of both authorities and citizens.
Then-president and chief executive Julia Simpson was moved to remark at the time: “This is a wake-up call for the US government. The world’s biggest travel and tourism economy is heading in the wrong direction, not because of a lack of demand, but because of a failure to act. While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the US government is putting up the ‘closed’ sign.”
It has not helped that the current US administration has been hard on Mexico, attacked Venezuela and incarcerated its head of government, threatened to annex Greenland, and even told its northern neighbour Canada that it was going to be its 51st state.
Not only has this driven down inbound tourism to the United States, but it has also given pause to many people seeking to travel to countries it has either threatened or attacked, leading to further shortfall in global tourism.
Furthermore, the stalemate in West Asia, especially involving the critical Strait of Hormuz and regional airspace, is now being felt globally via increasing fuel prices and dwindling power supplies.
“Don’t visit the US; it’s not worth it”
In a March 2025 op-ed for The Guardian, journalist Arwa Mahdawi painted a brutal picture of how US authorities treated travellers whom they suspected were terrorists or criminals.
Responding to the UK Foreign Office’s guidance advising British travellers to simply comply with what US immigration authorities asked of them, Mahdawi scathingly declared:
“Forget being careful about following the rules: just don’t come here. Why spend your money in the US, which is threatening to annex its neighbours and rapidly descending into authoritarianism? There will be plenty of people in the tourism industry who are horrified about what’s happening and who may be hurt from a drop-off in international travel. Nevertheless, choosing how we spend our cash is the greatest power most of us have; and choosing to deploy it in Trump’s America helps normalise an abnormal situation.”
It’s interesting to add at this point that, even as countries known for authoritarian rule are relaxing visa restrictions to draw in tourists, the US is doing the opposite and becoming stricter, more hard-line when it comes to visa applications from outsiders.
Indeed, if you ask travellers from the Philippines why they can’t or won’t visit the US even if they have relatives there, they will tell you that the cost and stress involved in just scheduling a visa appointment at the American Embassy in Manila has them jumping through burning hoops with no guarantee of approval.
Also, the 2022 incident wherein a Filipino minor travelling in New York was beaten senseless by local hooligans has made many would-be travellers, especially those with children, think twice before even considering a visa application.
Now what?
With Trump now losing support from the US’ global allies for his continuing siege on Iran, it’s not surprising that global travellers are contemplating other destinations.
Even with the rising cost of fuel, airfare, and accommodations, those with a yen to travel for either business or leisure are finding more to explore elsewhere, particularly in parts of East and Southeast Asia.
While the US President makes noises about “ending” the war in West Asia sometime soon, the global tourism sector is taking his words with a grain of salt and steering clear of his territory for the time being.
