Trump Policies Trouble Tourism Industry

If Donald Trump becomes president of the United States, it’s highly unlikely that international travellers will feel particularly welcome in America.

That’s the view that executive editor, Bob Mowat offers in a commentary piece in this week’s digital edition of Canadian Travel Press.

Mowat argues that: “You would think that someone who’s been in the hotel business for so many years would understand that the way to increase the number of people staying at your properties or visiting your destination is by rolling out the welcome mat — not building walls and putting up Do Not Enter signs.”

And he continues: “Yet how else can the world interpret the Republican presidential hopeful’s campaign pledges to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and to impose a “total ban on Muslims” entering the US.”

The upshot, according to CTP’s executive editor is that Trump’s policies “defy all logic and lack any semblance of the spirit of hospitality that is the fundamental characteristic of successful travel and tourism businesses and destinations. “

He writes in the commentary: “And the likelihood that Trump would remove that welcome mat from the doorstep of US tourism – either by word or deed – has done nothing less than create consternation among travel and tourism professionals both within and outside the US. Those in the US travel and tourism business contemplating the kind of impact such policies would have on their industry are finding the answers that are coming back are far from comforting, but they continue to fight the good fight.”

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Canadian Travel Press by clicking here.