Why some travellers are rethinking trips to the US

 Travellers are rethinking trips to the US

This was supposed to be a big year for US tourism. But long wait times at airports and rising anti-American sentiment are causing some travellers to reconsider their plans.

Travellers at US airports around the country recently experienced wait times up to four hours, the longest in the 24-year history of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The culprit was a partial government shutdown, which is now entering its seventh week and is the longest in US history.

The shutdown left TSA screeners working without pay for more than a month, prompting thousands to call out of work and more than 500 officers to quit. While a presidential directive signed on 30 March restored TSA workers' pay and aims to cut airport wait times significantly, the headlines and photos of long queues are the latest in a string of headwinds facing US travel and tourism.  

This global travel disruption couldn't have come at a worse time for the US. The country is co-hosting the Fifa World Cup this summer, celebrating the centenary of Route 66 and marking its 250th year of independence in 2026. In a normal year, any one of those milestones would give the American travel industry reason to celebrate. Instead, the nation is contending with a mix of bad perception and unpopular policy that saw its 2025 tourism decline by 5.4%, even as the rest of the world grew its international tourism by 4%, according to the World Tourism Barometer. Canadian visitation to the US dropped by 22% in 2025 compared to 2024, the steepest decline of any market.

 

A partial government shutdown has caused queues at some US airports to take hours

The continued presence of ICE agents in US airports may not be helping the US's image issues either. Originally deployed to assist with TSA shortages, the US Transportation Secretary said the agents will remain "as long as needed". Since ICE agents aren't trained for aviation security, some travellers are wary.

Sandra Awodele, who was born in Nigeria but is a naturalised US citizen, said she has been on increased alert with the new ICE presence.

"With ICE detaining people who may or may not be citizens and apologising later if they're wrong, it has made me change my travel plans a few times if the airport I am arriving [at] has heavy ICE presence," she said. "I have never had an issue, but now I fear I might because of procedures and protocols I may not be aware of. That is scary."

The deployment of ICE agents at airports is just one of a series of rapidly shifting policies confusing some international travellers. A Trump administration proposal floated in December 2025 would require visitors from 42 visa-free countries (including the UK and most of Europe) to provide five years' worth of social media history in order to enter the country. The proposal has not yet been implemented, but some travellers believe it already has.