Travel boycott to the USA

ReidOnTravel suggests all foreign travelers to forego on any non-essential travel to the United States until Donald Trump is out of office.

I normally don’t believe in travel boycotts. Not when they are directed to countries whose people hold no power in the governments or dictators who lead them. Often they’re impoverished, and have no connection with the outer world than with travel. I’m very proud to have worked on Lonely Planet’s Burma guidebook during the travel boycott to the country.

But the USA?

No, the next four years is ALL on the United States. Without the popular count, the country voted in an unstable leader who gropes women, mocks the disabled, calls Mexicans “rapists,” refuses to release his taxes, and has held no public service. He’s winked at Russia to hack the election, then said it didn’t happen, before he did. He called those who didn’t vote for him “enemies,” and his white nationalist co-hort Steve Bannon told the media (aka “opposition party”) to “shut up.” In his first two weeks as president, he signed on an unconstitutional Muslim Ban, given a veiled threat of war to Mexico, hung up on Australia, angered Prince Charles (I can’t remember him ever saying a word before), lied about inauguration turnout, shut down the national parks’ social media, removed Spanish language from the White House website, assembled an all-white cabinet uniquely unfit for their roles, and yet had a great call with Vladimir Putin. Sadly, violence is likely to rise.

So I’ll say what travel publishers can’t say: This is not a good time to come to the USA. Don’t come.

Not until, at least, Trump is out of office.

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 ADDENDUM:

In a Facebook conversation after I published this, the question rightly came up about whether this would hurt people who didn’t vote for Trump. And it would. I get why that bothers some. Of course, no matter what we say, US tourism WILL go down. But that’s on Trump not my lonely blog.

Here was my response:

In college, I wasn’t much of a drinker. But some friends introduced me to a new drink called tequila. I sipped it like beer, vomited 27 times. I had a hangover, and I deserved it. More importantly, I LEARNED not to do that again. The country deserves a hangover so they will think twice before being blinded by a thin-skinned reality TV star with a stream of question marks hanging on his character, finances. “We the people” did this. Fed by fake news, hate and plain stupidity. Sixty million voted for him. OK. So “we the people” need to feel pain of such a short-sighted decision in real life. That’s my opinion.

Also, Trump voters, this doesn’t mean YOU can’t travel! I’ve come up with a yuge itinerary for you.

About Robert Reid

Robert Reid is a travel writer (Lonely Planet, New York Times, ESPN), travel expert (Today Show, CNN's Headline News), travel videographer (76-Second Travel Show) and travel artist (don't ask).
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2 Responses to Travel boycott to the USA

  1. bicyclegourmetbicycle gourmet says:

    good on ya mate. TOTALLY on the money. Would that others in the travel industry had your cojones!

  2. Wendy says:

    Bold and right on target! Unfortunately people who voted for Trump are so sure they are correct and don’t need to learn anything more will probably not take your suggestions. I think you nailed one of the most important things I have discovered about traveling… how much you can learn. It is interesting to see the contrasts in other countries then bring that home and realize that while America is pretty great there are things other places do much better.

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