In thirty years of managing Voyageurs du Monde, Jean-François Rial had never seen anything like this. The United States has always been a strong destination for his travel agencies. But this year, his tours in California, the great parks of Arizona or Louisiana are selling less: A 20% drop that he's attributing "to the political context, in defiance of Trump's actions." It's common for a country to attract fewer tourists for security reasons or because of a natural disaster. "But for political reasons, it's rare," he said, observing that "people are flocking to Canada and Mexico."

At Evaneos, another travel agency, bookings to the United States are down 11%. "Clients who had started the process gave up following Trump's arrival," a spokesperson explained. "We saw a real difference after the Oval Office episode," confirmed Valérie Boned, CEO of Entreprises du Voyage – an organization that brings together players in the sector. The steepest declines are witnessed in group travel. "On that front, we're almost at a standstill. These are less experienced travelers, very sensitive to the context. Individual auto tours are also affected but a bit less," said tour operator AmériGo CEO Jean Eustache.

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