When Travelweek, a Canadian travel trade publication founded by the Government of Canada, interviewed Chris Heywood, Senior Vice President of Public Relations and Chief Communications Officer at Brand USA, his message was polished, diplomatic, and reassuring.
- Brand USA, he said, remains “absolutely committed” to Canada.
- Travel advisors are “vital.”
- The United States, implicitly, remains open and welcoming.
Those statements are not untrue. They are simply no longer credible on their own.
Tourism Is Being Undermined by U.S. Government Policy
Brand USA, the U.S. Travel Association, and hundreds of U.S. destination marketing organizations are being asked to promote a country whose federal leadership is systematically dismantling the very values that global tourism depends on.
- Equality.
- Inclusion.
- Predictability.
- Respect.
Through massive funding cuts, politically motivated board removals, attacks on diversity initiatives, and increasingly hostile border and immigration rhetoric, U.S. lawmakers have sent a clear signal to the world: international visitors are no longer a priority—and some are clearly less welcome than others.
No tourism campaign can counteract that message.
Brand USA Is Trapped – And Muzzled
Brand USA’s leadership understands the damage being done. But it cannot say so publicly.
After an estimated 80% cut in federal funding and the removal of independent board members, Brand USA operates under political pressure that leaves little room for honest public discourse. The organization is expected to “sell America” while being denied the resources, independence, and political backing needed to do so.
This is not destination marketing. It is crisis management without authority.
Canada’s Decline Is a Warning, Not an Exception
Canada remains the second-largest source of international visitors to the United States after Mexico. Yet Canadian visitation has dropped significantly, and what remains is increasingly quiet and reluctant.
Many Canadians still travel south—but they no longer promote it, celebrate it, or recommend it openly. This phenomenon of “silent tourism” reflects something deeper than economic factors.
Travelers are watching:
- Equality protections are being rolled back
- LGBTQ+ communities targeted
- Women’s rights are restricted
- Immigration rhetoric weaponized
- Border treatment is becoming unpredictable and intimidating
People do not vacation where they feel unwelcome or unsafe.
Mega-Events Will Not Fix a Broken Reputation
U.S. lawmakers frequently point to upcoming mega-events—the FIFA World Cup, America 250, and Route 66 anniversaries—as proof that tourism will rebound.
They are wrong.
- A World Cup does not reassure a Muslim traveler.
- A national anniversary does not comfort a same-sex couple.
- A historic highway does not guarantee dignity at a border checkpoint.
Tourism is built on trust, not spectacle.
A Direct Call to U.S. Lawmakers
US-headquartered World Tourism Network issues this call to action to the United States Congress and federal leadership:
If you want international tourism revenue, jobs, and global credibility back, you must act now.
- Restore Full and Stable Funding for Brand USA
Tourism marketing cannot function as a political punishment tool. - Protect Institutional Independence
Destination marketing organizations must not be reshaped by ideology. - Publicly Reaffirm Equality and Non-Discrimination
Global travelers judge countries by laws, not slogans. - Reform Border and Entry Practices
Dignity at ports of entry is the front door of tourism. - Stop Using Culture Wars at the Expense of Tourism
International visitors are not domestic political opponents.
The Consequences Are Already Here
Tourism is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.
- It rewards welcome.
- It punishes hostility.
- And it remembers.
Brand USA is doing its job. The tourism industry is doing its job.
Now U.S. lawmakers must decide whether they will do theirs—or accept responsibility for the long-term economic and reputational damage already unfolding.
America’s decline in tourism is not a mystery. It is a policy choice.
And the world is responding accordingly.
