Could Donald Trump’s stunning victory deter silver travellers from visiting the US? A snap poll by the travel trade publication TTG suggests a majority of industry professionals (56%) expect a repeat of the so called “Trump Slump” reported after his 2016 win – against 23% who believe the election result will have no effect. Among the former is Alicia Sharpe, managing director of Bradford-on-Avon-based Luxeco Holidays who told TTG: “My clients tend to be 60-plus, educated and follow politics. At the end of the day, if they really want to travel to the US, then I think they will – but I do think in the short term, it will put people off.” Sharpe admitted she herself would not feel comfortable promoting the US in the immediate future, and suggested Canada might see a boost instead. “I’m not going to actively promote America,” she said. “As a person of colour, I wouldn’t feel comfortable. I think we could see Canada having a bounce in visitors instead.” Whatever the overall reaction, it is impossible to disagree to disagree with Phil Bloomfield, founder of Bloom Communications, who warned in a TTG opinion piece, that “marketers and those involved in the promotion and sale of the US will have to work hard to show how the new administration, and the way it emboldens certain beliefs and behaviours, won’t change the essential DNA of what is still one of the most successful, most loved and most valuable destination tourism brands in history.
Categories:
