Price Drop instead of Fear of Entering the USA?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Travel and Recreation
TaraDeS — 1 month ago(February 13, 2026 04:49 PM)
Price Drop instead of Fear of Entering the USA?
Tilo Krause-Dünow's company
Canusa Touristik
specialized in North American travel.
Canada currently experiences an unprecedented boom.
The USA struggles with the consequences of political turmoil.
Canusa CEO Tilo Krause-Dünow (in front of the Golden Gate Bridge) is confident.
Herr Krause-Dünow, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the USA was the only country worldwide to experience a decline in tourism in 2025. How difficult was last year for you?
In 2025, we had about 10% fewer inquiries for trips to the USA. A noticeable reluctance was particularly evident after the Munich Security Conference. We were still able to close the year with a very small loss due to our business model: As a long-haul tour operator with a very long booking lead time, we already had around 80% of our 2025 trips firmly booked before the political uncertainty set in. And with approximately 1.7 million German tourists traveling to the USA, we remain in a very stable position.
You observed that the second Trump presidency has a bigger impact on vacation plans.
How are things developing for 2026?
We currently see about 10-12% fewer inquiries than last year. But customers make their vacation decisions much more spontaneously, probably due to the global unrest. What gives us cause for optimism is that the
'realization rate'
increased; those who are now interested in a trip are booking more frequently than before.
Yesterday was the deadline for submitting applications for planned ESTA restrictions, such as social media disclosure and DNA samples. Can you still sell the US in good conscience if crossing the border becomes an obstacle?
The issue causes uncertainty, but we need to remain objective. Social media accounts are already requested as an option, and I consider it extremely unlikely that DNA samples will be required. It's important to remember that the USA uses the so-called MPC (Mobile Passport Control) system, an app that allows travelers to submit their data digitally in advance to significantly expedite entry. I myself entered the country in under 5 minutes just a few months ago. Anything that would turn border crossings into a
'black box'
would be in stark contrast to such technological simplifications.
At what point becomes a trip to the USA political, for example due to stricter travel advisories?
About 10-15% of vacationers currently pause their USA travel plans due to the news. The rule
"bad news is good news"
[
Isn't it "no news is good news?
] unfortunately doesn't apply to tourism. But the confidence of those who actually travel to the country remains unshaken. Upon closer inspection, some of the frequently mentioned rejected travelers simply didn't have the correct visa for their individual plans. Lufthansa data shows that such problem cases at the USA borders, insofar as they involve the Lufthansa fleet, decreased by approximately 15% overall. [
Maybe Lufthansa checks them before boarding?
]
Canada experiences a boom, also reflected in your portfolio.
Is this a sustainable trend or simply a protest against Trump?
Since the pandemic, Canada is in massive demand; we already see almost 20% more bookings for 2026 than last year. Nevertheless, Canada isn't completely replacing the USA. Canada remains a highly seasonal destination for the summer or the ski season. The USA, on the other hand, with destinations like Florida or Hawaii, is a year-round business for a full twelve months.
Travel to the USA is considered as affordable as it was in a long time. Why?
I would say that the price development somewhat compensates for the image deficit. Added to this are the weak dollar and price reductions on the ground, which should add up to roughly 15-20% lower travel costs compared to 2025. An important factor is that around 28% fewer Canadians travel to the USA, which frees up a significant amount of hotel capacity. Domestic demand also seems to weaken somewhat. This further reduces prices and results in extremely attractive rates.
Have you noticed any difference in cooperation since the reduction of the
'Brand USA'
budget for promoting the country as a vacation destination — from $100 million to $20 million?
On the contrary: We never received such high advertising subsidies from individual USA states as we are currently. Readers will likely notice this at airports and in city centers, where individual regions very actively promote themselves. The states cushioned the impact of the national cuts.
The FIFA World Cup starts in the USA in June. Is this mega-event more of a price driver for you, or a glimmer of hope? There were recently reports of 38,000 room cancellations…
Initially, it was a burden. Suddenly, basic 2-star hotels in the host cities costed as much as $700 a night — from Atlanta to Seattle. The situation currently eases because FIFA released large blocks of reserved rooms back to the market, as there simply wasn't enough demand at such extreme rates.
If you cou -
soapbox original gangster — 1 month ago(March 02, 2026 09:21 PM)
trump and the state department and boarder patrol are major pieces of crap.
according to official Florida data, over 9 million foreign visitors were here in 2025– an increase of 4% over 2024. that i cant figure out, what with trump known very well as a hater of all things foreign.
https://www.visitflorida.org/resources/research/research-faq/
1 euro buys more than 1 dollar so european tourists can get more with their currency, which means if they buy clothes then they get more for comprable euro price back home.
and this is good for florida because we dont have a state income tax; cities fund themselves through sales taxes. why businesses and individuals continue to support Trump and gop who demonize different cultures and make entry a pain in the ass, just doesnt make any sense economically.
family of four from Frankfurt will spend more because the euro conversion gives them more buying power than a family of four from frankfurt, Kentucky. Orlando should be begging for the former and telling the latter to stay home and inbreed more.
personal observation: in the summer, miami beach usually teems with foreign voices. last year, i think i heard French. once. and only it.