Who is going to the USA, who has changed their travel and what will you do differently?

[Forg]

They voted him in - twice - so they deserve what they get - the rest of the world didn’t vote him in and do not deserve what he brings - seems very simple to me - vote with your feet and your $$$s and stay away

The problem is that in penalising the ~26% that voted for This, and the ~49% who didn't bother voting so they're as culpable as that ~26% ... you're also punishing the ~25% that explicitly voted against This. A bloke I know moderately-well (from another forum) & his husband run a small business in some town that has a lot of input from tourism, he's being punched by the new fascist regime from one side plus his business suffering from the other side, despite both of them most definitely voting against This.

I don't think I'd go right now unless I had to for work, definitely not on a holiday. The chance of Bad Stuff happening might still not be high, but it's still higher than it was 3 months ago, and while the rest of the world exists I'll avoid the US for now.
But ... it still makes me wonder if the right people are being punished by a tourism avoidance?
Maybe I need to be selecting my tourism-services providers using the opposite of the criteria the US government is using to punish them, and get 'em to show me proof of DEI hiring practices?

 

[justinbrett]

They voted him in - twice - so they deserve what they get - the rest of the world didn’t vote him in and do not deserve what he brings - seems very simple to me - vote with your feet and your $$$s and stay awsy

As opposed to going to a country like China who has an actual dictator that wasn’t duly elected. You’ve probably got more to worry about going through HKG immigration than LAX.

There’s a lot of trash talking of the US here but despite what people believe it’s still a democracy with a functioning legal system. As opposed to other countries where you might just “disappear”.

 

[Forg]

There’s a lot of trash talking of the US here but despite what people believe it’s still a democracy with a functioning legal system. As opposed to other countries where you might just “disappear”.

A valid point, given the recent documented instances of US officials skirting the US legal system & "disappearing" people irretrievably ...

 

[Phoenix-1]

What would be the end goal of that? Such an outcome would be short lived anyway, as soon as tourists businesses started feeling the pinch there will be lobbying and course correction.

There are plenty of other ways the current administration is shooting themselves in the foot

As opposed to going to a country like China who has an actual dictator that wasn’t duly elected. You’ve probably got more to worry about going through HKG immigration than LAX.

I asked this before, but are there any examples of individuals being detained for weeks by immigration over minor visa issues in Hong Kong?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

As opposed to going to a country like China who has an actual dictator that wasn’t duly elected. You’ve probably got more to worry about going through HKG immigration than LAX.

Never go to HK so irrelevant - the Chinese don’t get to vote for their dictatorship so they can’t be blamed - I am openly and freely choosing to be back in China in 2 weeks - 3rd trip this year - should get in 8 trips in total in 2025 - love going there to spread some funds amongst those that need it - USA nah when they come to their senses and take a different turn maybe then - but clearly YMMV

 

[RooFlyer]

There’s a lot of trash talking of the US here but despite what people believe it’s still a democracy with a functioning legal system.

Jeez, have a look and listen to what’s happening with the US courts versus the executive at the moment. The courts may function but I’m not sure of the system.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

There’s a lot of trash talking of the US here but despite what people believe it’s still a democracy with a functioning legal system. As opposed to other countries where you might just “disappear”.

Wrong thread mate - that belongs in the ‘A Bit Of Humour’ thread

 

[dajop]

There’s a lot of trash talking of the US here but despite what people believe it’s still a democracy with a functioning legal system. As opposed to other countries where you might just “disappear”.

I think for a lot of people it’s more of an emotional response based on how the US has positioned and marketed itself for decades (in terms of freedom, liberty etc). Which is understandable, psychologically our emotions tend to be dominant over the brain in decision making.

Also the thing is that travel is the easiest thing to do - if wanting to “boycott the US” then withdrawing from tech (Apple, Android, Google, Facebook, Insta, Netflix, etc) would be another way to go about it - but much more difficult than avoiding travel to what has become an expensive destination (at least for those using AUD).

 

[justinbrett]

Wrong thread mate - that belongs in the ‘A Bit Of Humour’ thread

Let’s ask Cheng Lei for her views on the matter.

 

[clifford]

Let’s ask Cheng Lei for her views on the matter.

Or the people deported to El Salvador.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Let’s ask Cheng Lei for her views on the matter.

Cheng Lei is an expert on USA court system and current deportation actions?

 

[DC3]

… travel to what has become an expensive destination (at least for those using AUD).

Certainly can be expensive. Although, I can recall when we were (briefly) at parity with the USD. So, all in the timing I guess.

 

[Human]

Wrong thread mate - that belongs in the ‘A Bit Of Humour’ thread

The USA is, and always has been, a country of contradictions. I stood at the Jefferson Memorial in January reading Jefferson's impassioned appeal against slavery -- written while he was a slaveowner. The more things change, the more things stay the same. If you think what is happening now is "new" or different, you're of course correct in one sense. But in another sense you could not be more wrong.

Antagonists could, of course, give lots of reasons to boycott Australia. I'm writing this on land stolen from the Boon Warrun people of the the Kulin nation, and I have absolutely no intention of giving it back. Will you give the land you're living on back? If the answer is "no", should foreign travellers boycott Australia? Is living on stolen land morally better or worse than arbitrarily blocking tourists from entering?

Let's have a bit of humility here and recognise that every nation (and their leaders, and their citizens) have flaws and if we were to start boycotting countries for not meeting our standards, we should start with our own.

 

[DC3]

As opposed to going to a country like China who has an actual dictator that wasn’t duly elected. You’ve probably got more to worry about going through HKG immigration than LAX.

Good call, there.

Anyway, we know that it’s not their first rodeo, if I recall correctly.

 

[kempvet]

It's like gun violence, been to the USA on over 70 trips, never seen a gun or heard a gun shot. Protesters are more like a rent a crowd coordinated by social media.

 

[nancypants]

I’ll throw in my data point for what it’s worth and try to be as dispassionate as possible

Flew circuitous route DRW-SIN-HKG-NRT-GUM
Opted for a G-CNMI ESTA instead of a standard one
More questions than I have probably ever had entering the US on arrival at GUM- all quite good natured and mainly confused/astonished that I would want to be there and for as long as I am (26 days). Further similar questions at customs
Flew to Rota the next day- really zero questioning by their ?customs officer (I don’t think he was CBP), again more of a why are you here confused single question
Spent my 14ish days in CNMI, flew in SPN-ROP on the same plane as the CBP lady who obviously gets sent in from Saipan to process the one flight to Guam which is a bit of a confusing thing as it seems there are visas that allow one to be in CNMI but not Guam etc.
Again, all very good natured, gentle chat. But an unspecified problem with my ESTA for which she had to leave and “make a call”
Passport came back “you’re good to go”
Plane departed on time with 2 (two) passengers including me- on arrival at Guam again, confused questioning about why you are coming to Guam from customs. He seemed less confused when I told him it was my 2nd visit now
Anyway, I had already had an AirTag ping to say my bags had been left behind in ROP- no biggie but struck me as odd. Was directed to return in 20 minutes as the bags would be returning to GUM on a cargo flight (OK). Then when I returned closer to 40 minutes later, the bags were still airside with customs

All felt a bit odd to me but not specifically able to say anything untoward had gone on. Bags didn’t overtly appear to have been disturbed or gone through

 

[justinbrett]

I’ll throw in my data point for what it’s worth and try to be as dispassionate as possible

Flew circuitous route DRW-SIN-HKG-NRT-GUM
Opted for a G-CNMI ESTA instead of a standard one
More questions than I have probably ever had entering the US on arrival at GUM- all quite good natured and mainly confused/astonished that I would want to be there and for as long as I am (26 days). Further similar questions at customs
Flew to Rota the next day- really zero questioning by their ?customs officer (I don’t think he was CBP), again more of a why are you here confused single question
Spent my 14ish days in CNMI, flew in SPN-ROP on the same plane as the CBP lady who obviously gets sent in from Saipan to process the one flight to Guam which is a bit of a confusing thing as it seems there are visas that allow one to be in CNMI but not Guam etc.
Again, all very good natured, gentle chat. But an unspecified problem with my ESTA for which she had to leave and “make a call”
Passport came back “you’re good to go”
Plane departed on time with 2 (two) passengers including me- on arrival at Guam again, confused questioning about why you are coming to Guam from customs. He seemed less confused when I told him it was my 2nd visit now
Anyway, I had already had an AirTag ping to say my bags had been left behind in ROP- no biggie but struck me as odd. Was directed to return in 20 minutes as the bags would be returning to GUM on a cargo flight (OK). Then when I returned closer to 40 minutes later, the bags were still airside with customs

All felt a bit odd to me but not specifically able to say anything untoward had gone on. Bags didn’t overtly appear to have been disturbed or gone through

I think your bags would have more to do with the type of aircraft operating your flight (and priorities for freight) than anything to do with CBP.

I flew SPN-GUM last year, had a brief passport check at the gate in SPN by CBP which means arrival in GUM is treated as a domestic flight. In reality it is still considered a domestic flight, there is no second I-94 entry for flying to Guam. Pretty much like flying from SJU to the US (or NLK to Australia).

On a different trip I also went to American Samoa last year, they don’t have CBP they run their own system. All very friendly.

 

[nancypants]

I think your bags would have more to do with the type of aircraft operating your flight (and priorities for freight) than anything to do with CBP.

I flew SPN-GUM last year, had a brief passport check at the gate in SPN by CBP which means arrival in GUM is treated as a domestic flight. In reality it is still considered a domestic flight, there is no second I-94 entry for flying to Guam. Pretty much like flying from SJU to the US (or NLK to Australia).

On a different trip I also went to American Samoa last year, they don’t have CBP they run their own system. All very friendly.

The plane was basically completely empty so it wasn’t that they were offloaded for prioritising freight. Seems to me the options are the bags were forgotten by the airline, or they were held for search

 

[DC3]

… on arrival at GUM- all quite good natured and mainly confused/astonished that I would want to be there and for as long as I am (26 days). Further similar questions at customs …

26 days in Guam? Probably a first for them.

 

[nancypants]

26 days in Guam? Probably a first for them.

Comes out as 14ish CNMI and 12ish Guam
I was slightly worried I would be bored but actually it’s been a good pace and heaps to do