Apple News Today
Their travel generates billions for the U.S. They’re rethinking their plans.
24 Apr 2025
Travel to the United States is a multibillion-dollar industry. The Washington Post examines how and why it is decreasing. Pope Francis kept up a routine of near daily calls to a church in Gaza throughout the Israel-Hamas war. The Wall Street Journal has more. And CNN details what to expect at his funeral. The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov joins to discuss an investigation into a sprawling sports-gambling scheme. Plus, peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are at a standstill, big-box CEOs raise concerns about tariffs, and the ultrarich have been getting richer. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.
Full Episode
Good morning. It's Thursday, April 24th. I'm Shemita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, how Pope Francis spent his last days, a major sports betting scandal, and how the wealthiest people in the country got even richer last year. But first, more and more international tourists appear to be turning their backs on the idea of a vacation in the United States.
The number of tourists arriving in March fell by nearly 12 percent compared to March of last year, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. We're seeing fewer tourists from Canada, Mexico, Central America and Europe. This was not expected. In fact, just last month, officials were predicting an increase in international travel this year.
The Washington Post spoke to travel experts who pointed to a few reasons for the slump. President Trump's tariff policy has inflamed international tensions. And under his immigration policy, a number of foreign-born tourists have been detained, some even locked up for weeks. A German tourist spent more than six weeks in detention. An actor from Canada spent around two weeks in detention.
She recounted the experience for NPR.
Use as a blanket. You wrap it around yourself like a dead body because it's so cold in the cells and you just lay there. I laid on the cement floor for two days and no one told me what was going on.
A number of countries tightened their travel advisories as a result, warning travelers to, quote, expect scrutiny and comply with U.S. rules or face detention. But for some tourists, the risks of traveling here just don't feel worth it.
In a recent survey by the travel news site Skift, nearly half of the people who responded across five different countries said they're less inclined to visit the U.S. right now, and 60 percent cited fear and anger for why they've canceled travel plans. Skift's editor-in-chief, Sarah Coppett, told CNN a lot of the hesitation seems to center on Trump.
We do get the impression that the beef here is really with the Trump administration, not the American people necessarily. But yeah, these high profile incidents that have really gotten a huge amount of worldwide press don't do the United States any favors for its inbound travel market.
As the CEO of one hotel giant put it to Bloomberg, there's a lot of, quote, bad buzz around the U.S. right now. International travelers spent over $250 billion in the U.S. last year, and their vacation choices can make or break entire industries. Goldman Sachs estimates that in a worst-case scenario, reduced inbound travel and boycotts on U.S.
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