The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld President Donald Trump’s travel ban from several mostly Muslim countries—it was a 5-4 decision. The travel ban applies to Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and North Korea, as well as some government officials from Venezuelan.
Will it Affect Your Bookings?
So how might the travel ban affect your bookings? The majority of U.S. travel agents’ bookings will not be affected, but travel designer Susan Farewell, of Farewell Travels, did point out that, “One of my clients was all set to go to Iran when the first Muslim ban happened and her visa did not come through in time. So we had to cancel the trip. Now, she is all set to go this September and we can’t help but be concerned that the same thing could happen again.”
We asked Lynn Ciccarelli of Bella Vacations her thoughts on the travel ban being upheld and if it would affect U.S. travelers traveling abroad to certain countries, including Iran, and she said, “American tourist are usually very security aware and select destinations that in their minds they view as ‘safe.’”
Affect on U.S. Tourism
ASTA is reviewing the recent decision with an eye toward assisting travel agents comply with it. In a statement, Eben Peck, executive v.p., advocacy, ASTA, wrote, “We align with the sentiment expressed by the U.S. Travel Association and other industry leaders that an overt message welcoming legitimate international travelers to the United States should accompany any security steps aimed at terrorists and those who overstay their visas.”
In the U.S. Travel Association statement reacting to the SCOTUS decision, U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs Jonathan Grella, said the following:
“[The] decision should enable the White House to move on to a new messaging phase: making it clear that keeping bad actors out remains a priority, but making it equally clear that legitimate business and leisure travelers are as welcome and desired as ever in the United States.
“The economic stakes around strong and healthy international travel are too high—and speak too squarely to the president’s priorities of growing exports, jobs, and the GDP—for the welcome message not to become a featured part of the administration’s calculus.”
