In reporting on the effects of the travel ban, I came across several travel agents noting cancellations for trips to Europe and Mexico, and I realized that this polarizing time was having an unseen effect: People are becoming nervous about travel again.
It's not because they are scared of terror attacks as much as they believe that they are going to be so hated abroad that they won't find travel enjoyable.
Here are a couple examples:
"While I've not had anyone directly affected by this travel ban, I have already had a couple cancel a Tauck river cruise for next year (2018) as they feel that, by then, Americans in Europe will be so hated that they won't enjoy their vacation," said travel agent Tamsin Allpress of Tamsin & Cooke.
"What I have seen so far is one couple changing their plans and not going to Europe because of what is going on. They feel that we may be hated in other countries and there may be retaliation against Americans," says Tammy Levent, CEO of Elite Travel.
After reading these anecdotes, I then had to confront my own nerves that had bubbled up over the last couple of weeks. I am about to leave with my two daughters on an extended trip that could take us around the world. In making plans, I found myself curbing our trip to fewer destinations because, as we get farther into the new administration, I find it hard to believe that tensions are going to wane.
The Trump administration is so unpredictable and seemingly wields its executive orders without thought or research, making it hard to gauge what will come next. In light of the travel ban, it made me think twice-maybe even three times-about planning travel when I didn't know what the political climate would be, not just as a woman traveling abroad with two children, but as an American.
Would we be stuck somewhere with plane tickets to a country that would no longer grant visas to Americans?
Will we have to scramble to change our plans at the last minute?
Am I being totally crazy for having these thoughts at all?
The unfortunate reality is that I understand why people would carefully consider altering their travel plans. I almost did as well. Ultimately, what I have come to realize is that there is no better time than right now to travel. We should go out and be ambassadors for this country, to tell our stories and to engage with the world so that other people can see for themselves who does actually make America great.
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