Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Many Europeans, including Belgians, are hesitant to travel to the U.S. due to strict border rules, high costs, and political concerns. Frank Bosteels (Belgian Travel Confederation) confirms bookings are on hold. A French scientist was denied entry over Trump-related messages, raising concerns about academic freedom.
Europeans are afraid to travel to the United States. Travel agency representatives in Belgium report that they are postponing or cancelling American trips. They fear they’ll be detained upon arrival. The reason is that the U.S. government has become more severe about admitting citizens from other nations.
Some European universities are now asking scientists from the U.S. to come to Europe instead. They’re worried that the U.S. is not welcoming to foreigners. It’s not clear if the U.S. government will do anything to change this.
Why are Europeans hesitant to travel to the United States?
According to the head of the Belgian Travel Confederation Frank Bosteels, it’s not just because of strict border rules and people being stopped at the border. He says people don’t like the way the U.S. government is run. Some people are even saying they won’t buy American products anymore. This is making people in Europe hesitant to travel to the U.S.
Travel agents in Belgium mentioned that fewer people book new trips. It’s unclear what the U.S. government will do about this. This is making it harder for the U.S. to get tourists from Europe. According to the head of the Belgian Travel Confederation, the U.S. is becoming too expensive for Europeans to visit.
He mentioned that the U.S. dollar is stronger now, making it costlier for Europeans to travel there. The U.S. is already known as an expensive place to visit. This makes it even less appealing for Europeans to travel there. This is happening at the same time as concerns about U.S. politics.
He mentioned that both of these things are making people less likely to visit the U.S. The tourism industry is facing 2 problems, people don’t like the way the U.S. government is run and it’s too expensive to visit.
“In the meantime, we see that the dollar has lost some of its strength. If it were to fall further in the coming weeks and months, the Belgian might see an opportunity to travel to the States,”
Says Frank Bosteels.
A French scientist was sent back to France because of messages he wrote about former President Trump. He was going to a conference in Houston. The U.S. government said his messages were a threat. The French government is upset. They say this is against freedom of speech and academic freedom. This isn’t the first time this has happened.
Other Europeans have also been stopped at the U.S. border. They were stopped because of minor visa issues or because the U.S. government thought they were a security threat. The U.S. is being more strict about who can enter the country. The French government is worried that this will affect the academic community and the tourism industry.
