<figure id="attachment_2775817" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2775817" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-2775817 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/3aa6fcfa-the-white-house-website-pic-300524.webp" alt="The White House" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2775817" class="wp-caption-text">US President Donald Trump’s policies have given rise to negative sentiments among international travellers, according to global economic advisory firm Oxford Economics. (The White House pic)</figcaption></figure>
PETALING JAYA: Several local travel agencies are reporting cancellations and a noticeable slowdown in bookings for tours to the US, according to the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta).
While no exact figures are available at this juncture, Matta president Nigel Wong said he could confirm that demand among Malaysians for travel to the US was not as high as before.
Wong, however, said he could not be certain whether this was attributable to US president Donald Trump&#8217;s policies, saying economic factors could also be at play.
“We’ve noticed from some of our agents that there have been a couple of cancellations and a slowdown, but we’re not too sure what the reason is.
&#8220;What I can tell you is that the demand for travel to the US is basically not as high, maybe because of economic concerns,&#8221; he told FMT.
Recently, CBC News reported a sharp decrease in Canadians travelling to the US since Trump returned as president, with airlines scaling back flight frequency in favour of destinations elsewhere.
Josh Yeats, a spokesman for Canada&#8217;s second-largest airline WestJet, identified the political environment and currency exchange rates as likely reasons behind the reduced demand among Canadian travellers.
Last month, a Tourism Economics report said foreign traveller arrivals in the US were expected to decline by 5.1% this year compared with 2024, against a previously projected 8.8% increase.
Global economic advisory firm Oxford Economics had said that Trump&#8217;s policies had given rise to negative sentiments about the US among international travellers, with tighter border security measures and immigration enforcement actions among their concerns.
Wong said interest in travelling to the US among Malaysians may also have waned due to the long-haul travel involved. However, he said there was not much change in the number of inquiries about the US during the recent Matta fair.
“The US is quite a long trip for most Malaysians, and currently, many are opting for familiar destinations like the UK or regional spots within Asean and Asia.&#8221;
Asked about the outlook for US-bound travel, Nigel said he expects some hesitancy to persist until the global economic situation stabilises.
“At the moment, as anybody will tell you, it’s just too unpredictable to even set a timeline as to when things are going to change,” he said.
Separately, Malaysian Tourism Federation president Tan Kok Liang said it was too early to tell if Malaysians were ditching their US travel plans because of Trump.
&#8220;Time will tell. It&#8217;s somewhat premature to say anything at this stage. Travelling patterns depend on market segments, customer expectations and experience, so it&#8217;s hard to predict at this juncture.&#8221;
Addressing concerns about visa cancellations and deportations by US authorities, Wisma Putra confirmed that no changes have been made to entry requirements and immigration policies for Malaysians residing or travelling to the US.
The foreign ministry also advised Malaysians currently in the US to comply with local laws, immigration regulations and the conditions of their respective visas.

MatchPoint Times

Tour agents reporting cancellations, slowdown in US trips

Matta says demand among Malaysians for travel to the US is not as high as before, but is uncertain if this is due to Trump’s policies.

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