Tourism has declined significantly over the course of the first year of the Donald Trump presidency. #Trumpfail is a hashtag that can be clearly applied to both tourism arrivals and tourism revenues. 

World travel is growing at a pace of 3.5 to 4.5 per year. But US tourism declined in 2017. Tourism is considered an export, and while Trump says increasing exports is central to his policy, tourism is declining. While the United States does not strongly rely on foreign tourism, our nation relies on it significantly.

A series of charts illustrate what is going on in the United States and the world, as it pertains to tourism:

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Tourism arrivals using the column choice at Trading Economics shows a steady decline in 2017 over earlier years. Obama was considered friendly to other nations. After the Great Recession, tourism thrived with that president due to his open policy towards visitors. 

President Trump has offended almost every ally. He is perceived as being stricken with xenophobia, racism, a hateful temper, and stupidity by many potential visitors to the United States. His followers are seen as being hateful and even violent. Trump rallies are made up of mostly white supporters and are televised in news bites around the world. 

It doesn't really matter whether all of these claims are accurate. It doesn't matter if any of them are accurate. Perception is unmistakably opposed to Trump and tourist arrivals are an indication of this malaise. 

Tourism revenue is also down. Global prosperity is increasing, and yet tourism revenue is declining in the first year of the Trump presidency. Had tourism arrivals kept pace with previous years, tourism revenues would have exploded, but they didn't:

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Tourism is booming in other parts of the world. Look at Spain revenue from tourism:

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And look at Mexico tourism revenue:

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There is simply no question that Donald Trump is failing the tourist industry in America. Consider that the United States possesses the greatest natural wonders of the world. Yosemite, Yellowstone,  the Grand Canyon and the California coast are meccas for Asians, and one hopes tourism will pick up from Asia. I was at the Grand Canyon this fall and most of the tourists were Asian. 

But Trump wants to drill in front of Carmel By the Sea (which has pure white beaches that cannot be soiled), has raised prices to National Parks, and is pushing Asians away. Only a buffoon could mess up tourism in America, with all that we have to offer. Perception parallels truth when it comes to Trump and tourism in the USA. 

And this data doesn't even count what could happen to tourism in an all-out Trump induced trade war.

For further reading:

• The Cost of US Tourism Decline
• Spain Set to Replace America as the Second Most Popular Tourist Destination