A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about what the strong US dollar means for U.S. travelers—but at what cost? For instance, with the current administration’s “tough guy” and “America first” agenda, will Americans still be welcome abroad?
The story was inspired by a New York Times article on a similar topic, but it was the 300 comments that made me concerned that we might not be as welcome abroad. One reader posed a great question: “As far as I can tell, the commenters regarding foreign travel are making assumptions. Has anyone actually experienced anti-American behavior in the past month since Trump has taken over our country? I’m not debating the point that this is a possibility… I just want to know if anyone has had this happen to them?”
One reader, Richard D., replied, sharing his experience: “I am on a World Cruise for 135 days. We will hit 34 countries and 61 ports. We are in our 9th week and many countries and ports, and have not had any anti-American issues! That is BS.”
I was in Fiji and Australia in late November and December and didn’t encounter any anti-American sentiment either. However, a lot has changed in those two weeks, especially due to Trump’s unprovoked attacks on Canada and his ridiculous tariffs, which have tanked world stock markets. Additionally, the U.S. dollar is no longer as strong as it was. For example, two weeks ago, 1 Euro equaled $1.03 USD. Today, it’s $1.08—an almost 5% decrease.
Many American readers are now nervous about traveling internationally, with some recalling experiences from the George W. Bush administration. Andrée recently shared: “I was going to school in Paris when Mr. Bush attacked Iraq. I was verbally attacked both at school and by the woman from whom I was renting a room. I moved to another place, but the same verbal harassment continued. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t a supporter of our then-President. I have canceled any thoughts of leaving anytime soon.”
Barbara D. also said, “I returned from 2 months in Europe and had no issues. The only pain came from hearing derisive statements about Trump. Sadly, I ignored them because I agreed. But it hurt to hear a president of the United States being thought of as a clown—even though he is. I will continue to travel because I want people to see that not all Americans are clowns. By the way, Europeans are astute. It’s silly to pretend to be anything other than who you are. Europeans can tell the difference between a Canadian and an American.”
Barbara’s response was in reply to my suggestion that, if you’re nervous about traveling as an American, you could always pretend to be Canadian, as many did during the Gulf War. You could do this by putting a Canadian flag on your luggage or backpack.
So, my big question to those of you who are traveling right now, or have just returned from abroad: Have you noticed any changes in attitudes toward Americans? Do you have any advice for those getting ready for an international trip? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts!
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The same thing has me concerned. The USA is actively making allies into enemies and it’s simply impossible for that not to affect travel in any way. Amongst my travels for this year I’m visiting Prague, Istanbul, and Greece, and worry that the U.S. antagonism toward our friends will have repercussions. Around New Year’s Eve I was awaiting a tram in Krakow with family when a semi-homeless looking man accosted our group, asking in an unfriendly manner if we were from the USA. I’m not sure what his goal was but it sure wasn’t good. A Polish man in his 30’s confronted the man and sent him away, which made us quite grateful but nonetheless that had never happened to me in my life before and I suspect that similar situations will occur in the future. It kinda sucks being the bad guys.
Sorry to hear that. The president’s rhetoric is definitely going to make international travel for Americans a challenge.