A travel industry coalition says America has an issue attracting foreign travelers, claiming those from other countries are not taking vacations here the way they used to. And they say the problem has accelerated since President Trump took office.
So how big of a deal is foreign tourism to the country's economy. Hank Lewis, an economist at Lone Star College, says it is a bigger deal than you might think.
“Billions of dollars every year. If you’ve ever been to Vegas, you’ll notice half the visitors are not American,” Lewis said.
What about here in Houston? Should we be concerned here?
“We would not care as much. The international visitors here tend to be more business related,” Lewis stated.
Lewis also says it is not fair to put the blame on Trump for this problem.
“It’s a lot more complicated than one particular individual,” Lewis said, adding that the economies in Europe and Canada have issues making it harder for them to travel internationally.
But he also adds that the President is a convenient target.