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For the first time since the comeback after the Great Recession, New York City officials are expecting the number of foreign visitors to the city to drop—and they're placing the blame on President Donald Trump's America First attitude.
NYC & Company, the city's tourism marking agency, released a new forecast predicting 300,000 fewer foreign visitors this year—down from 2016's record 12.7 million international visitors and far below the increase of 400,000 international visitors they had projected before the election. The slowdown is expected to cost New York businesses a whopping $600 million in tourist dollars—a further financial blow to the city that's already paying $1 million a day to protect the First Family at Trump Tower.
And it's not just New York that's going to feel the pinch. Noting that online searches for airline tickets and hotels have dropped since the election, Adam Sacks, president of international forecasting firm Tourism Economics, told the New York Times he predicts the U.S. will see 6.3 million fewer visitors in the first year of Trump's presidency. However, even the industry expert notes that the uncertainty around Trump's policies (and the international reaction to them) makes making predictions more difficult than usual.
To counteract the Trump slump, NYC & Company has issued a new slogan to lure international travelers: "Welcoming the World."