Following several high-profile incidents at the U.S. border, a growing number of European countries have issued updated travel advisories and warnings in recent weeks for U.S.-bound travelers, raising concerns about the possible detrimental effects on the U.S. tourism industry ahead of the summer travel season.
In February, a German national was detained for more than two weeks when he and his fianceé, a U.S. citizen, tried to return to the U.S. after traveling to Mexico. In March, a French researcher was denied entry into the U.S. for a conference when border agents in Houston searched his phone and found his messages criticizing the U.S. administration under President Donald Trump. While these particular events have made headlines, it’s unclear how many other travelers have encountered issues.
As anxiety about traveling to the U.S. grows in response, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom are among the European nations that have revised or updated their U.S. travel advisories. Some countries have made updates following alleged visa issues their citizens have encountered while trying to enter the U.S., while others have cautioned LGBTQ+ travelers in light of a January 20 executive order that required the U.S. to only issue passports “with an M or F sex marker that match the customer’s biological sex at birth.”
These changes and events could be beginning to affect transatlantic travel. According to recent data from Accor, a Paris-based global hotel operator, summer bookings from Europe to the United States have fallen by 25 percent, Accor Group CEO Sébastien Bazin said in a recent Bloomberg TV interview. Bazin cited “bad buzz” as a driving factor for the “pretty strong deceleration across the Atlantic,” following recent reports of some tourists being detained by U.S. border agents.
Also sparking headlines and concern from travelers outside the U.S. are tariffs that the U.S. administration has rolled out in recent weeks, including a sweeping round announced on April 2 by Trump. In addition, the administration has threatened to annex Canada and Greenland, which has stirred outrage among residents of those places and others.
This is all “bad news for the industry,” said Arnie Weissmann, editor in chief of Travel Weekly, whose recent opinion piece, titled “Welcome to Fortress America!,” presents a mock conversation between a U.S. border agent and a tourist trying to enter the country. “The U.S. market share for international travel has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, and this will likely set us back further,” Weissmann told Afar via email.
Weissmann noted that although the vast majority of international travelers do not have a “dramatic encounter” at the U.S. border, “just the thought” that they could be required to hand over electronic devices, have their social media accounts scrutinized, or face detention while trying to enter the country “would be off-putting.”
“The uncertainty this creates—even if they’re only delayed while being questioned, they may miss a connecting flight—will likely lead some visitors to consider an alternative vacation destination,” Weissmann said. “There are plenty of other destinations that would be happy for their vacation dollars.”
Here’s a look at some of the European countries that have recently modified their policies regarding travel to the U.S.
In addition to those listed below, Ireland, Portugal, and Norway have updated their advisories as they pertain to transgender travelers—and more additions could be coming.
Denmark
According to a report from Reuters, the Scandinavian country updated its travel advisory page on March 21 amid concerns that transgender travelers could face issues with their travel documents in the U.S. due to the Trump administration’s new gender policies. Denmark now advises transgender citizens to contact the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen before travel to the U.S.
Finland
On March 14, the happiest country in the world issued an update to its U.S. travel advisory, according to Reuters. The revised advisory cautions Finnish citizens that they may be refused entry if their passports have a different gender marker than what they were assigned at birth.
France
On March 24, France revised travel advice from its foreign ministry, as reported by French newspaper Le Monde and other outlets. French citizens traveling to the U.S. are now “strongly recommended” to consult the embassy site as well as their specific airlines to “check for any changes or new measures adopted.”
The revised information also notes that travelers applying for a new visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) should be advised of the U.S. administration’s policies on gender. Transgender citizens are encouraged to check the online FAQ of the State Department.
Germany
In recent months, three German nationals have been detained at the U.S. border, prompting an investigation from Germany into how U.S. immigration policy has changed and leading the country to update its travel advisory to the U.S. In the mid-March update, the EU nation emphasized that a visa or entry waiver doesn’t guarantee citizens entry, according to a report from Euronews. One of the detained German citizens was a U.S. green cardholder, the outlet said.
The German foreign ministry also updated its travel advice website for travel to the U.S., emphasizing that neither approval through the U.S. ESTA system nor a U.S. visa entitles entry for German citizens, the outlet said. However, a German foreign ministry spokesperson also emphasized that the updated guidance does not indicate a travel warning to the U.S., Euronews reported.
The Netherlands
Echoing the moves of other European countries, on March 24, the Netherlands updated its travel advisory for U.S.-bound travelers—more specifically, LGBTQ+ travelers.
The Dutch government also recommended U.S.-bound travelers to read information provided by the Human Rights Campaign regarding the current landscape in the U.S.
“Please note that laws and customs in the U.S. toward LGBTIQ+ people may differ from those in the Netherlands,” the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, according to NL Times.
The United Kingdom
The U.K. recently strengthened its language around advice for entry to the U.S., emphasizing that border authorities in the U.S. “set and enforce entry rules strictly. You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.” The foreign travel advice also suggests that travelers contact the U.S. Embassy or a consulate in the U.K. for further information.
