All the lies, division, hateful rhetoric, and tariffs ravage tourism.

All the lies, division, hateful rhetoric, and tariffs have a cascading effect. American tourism officials expected a banner year from international travelers in 2025. What they didn’t account for was Donald Trump. The president’s repeated antagonization of key allies — including Canada and much of Europe — has roiled the American tourism industry. And reports of tourists being detained while trying to enter the U.S. threaten to push even more would-be travelers from visiting. The result: International arrivals, which had been increasing steadily since the pandemic and were projected by some to eclipse 2019 levels next year, now are spiraling. City and state tourism advocates and industry association leaders told POLITICO the dramatic decline in international arrivals threatens the large and small businesses that rely on a robust tourism industry — and could cost billions. The turnaround for the industry is stark. Last December, the research group Tourism Economics projected an 8.8 percent growth in international visitation in 2025, to go along with a 16 percent increase in visitor spending. By early April, Tourism Economics had reversed course, predicting a 9.4 percent decline in international visitor arrivals, with an even more pronounced 20.2 percent decrease for Canadian travelers. It could mean a $9 billion loss in visitor spending, the group said.