Spain overtakes US for tourism after ‘Trump slump’

Spain is set to leapfrog the US as the second most-visited country in the world by tourists, as the so-called ‘Trump slump’ continues.

Although the UN’s World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) does not release its official tourist numbers until the spring, early indications are that Spain is second only to France in terms of popularity for overseas visitors, with the US pushed into third.

Last week, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced total earnings in the tourism sector rose by 12% to €87bn (£77bn) last year. The figures are all the more surprising given the political turmoil in Catalonia, Spain’s most popular tourist destination.

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Last year, police crushed independence protests, anti-tourism demonstrations took place in Barcelona and 14 people were killed and hundreds injured in a terrorist attack in the city. Despite this, tourism in Spain soared to record levels.

It was a different story across the Atlantic, where the US saw tourist numbers drop by 5% in the first three months of last year, and a further 3% over the summer, a phenomenon dubbed the “Trump slump”.

First identified after the US President announced a travel ban which blocked passengers from some Muslim countries entering the US, there has been a direct correlation between the controversial measure and a drop in tourism.

According to travel data company ForwardKeys, online searches for flights to America dropped by 17% the week the ban was announced, while international travel to the US dropped 6.5%.

“The proposed ban also coincided with the strengthening of the US dollar, making it a more expensive prospect as a holiday destination,” says The Independent.

In April last year, the online news site estimated the drop-off in tourism would result in 4.3 million fewer visitors to US over the course of the year, adding up to a staggering $7.4bn in lost revenue.