A British family says it has canceled a $16,000 trip to Walt Disney World, citing concerns about recent violence and the political climate in the U.S. as international tourism to the country declines.
Michelle Cowley, a London-based communications specialist, told The New York Times that she and her husband had spent nearly two years planning the Florida vacation for their two children, ages seven and 11.
The family had planned to visit the Disney resort in Orlando for what Cowley described as a “perfect getaway.”
But those plans were scrapped after the children became upset by widely circulated footage of the shootings of anti-ICE protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month. The incidents sparked protests across the country and generated extensive social media coverage.
Cowley said the events, along with broader concerns about U.S. politics under President Donald Trump, influenced the family’s decision. She pointed to the administration’s hardline immigration crackdown, as well as Trump’s remarks about annexing Greenland and criticism of British military contributions in Afghanistan.
“We have decided that it really is not the place we want to be at the moment,” Cowley told the Times.
The family’s decision comes as new data shows a decline in international tourism to the U.S. A recent report from the World Travel and Tourism Council found the U.S. was the only major global destination to experience a drop in foreign visitors last year.
According to reporting cited by The Times, January tourism numbers were down 4.8% compared to January 2025.
Overall, international visits to the U.S. fell by roughly 11 million travelers over the past year, contributing to what industry officials say are billions of dollars in losses.
Tourism from Canada — typically the second-largest source of visitors to the U.S. after Mexico — reportedly dropped 28% in January compared to the same month last year, per the Daily Mail.
Las Vegas has been among the cities most affected, with local tourism officials citing anger among some Canadian travelers over tariffs and political rhetoric.
Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that many Canadians expressed frustration over trade tensions and annexation comments.
“There’s an awful lot of the anecdotal conversation around Canadians being angry and upset about tariffs and talk around annexing the country,” Hill said.
Other countries, including Germany and France, also saw declines in travel to the United States, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. The organization estimates the downturn could result in as much as $15.7 billion in lost tourism spending.
Erik Hansen, senior vice president at the U.S. Travel Association, told The New York Times that when millions of international visitors cancel or postpone trips, the economic impact is significant.
“When 11 million international visitors aren’t showing up, the result is billions of dollars in economic losses to the travel industry,” Hansen said.
Experts say a range of factors may be contributing to the drop, including visa restrictions, increased scrutiny of travelers’ social media histories, and broader political tensions.
While some families like the Cowleys say safety concerns and political disagreements influenced their decision, tourism analysts note that international travel trends can shift for multiple reasons, including currency fluctuations, global economic pressures and changing consumer confidence.
The White House has not directly addressed the specific tourism figures but has defended its immigration policies as necessary for national security and border enforcement.
