Tourists to the United States are expected to decline by 5.1 percent due to Trump's unpopular policies

New York (AFP) - Two months after President Donald Trump took office, a number of controversial policies have turned foreigners against the United States, with a travel research firm predicting a 5.1 percent drop in visitors this year.

Tourism Economics released a report late last month predicting that foreign visitors to the United States would fall 5.1 percent this year from last year, a sharp drop from an earlier forecast of 8.8 percent growth. Spending by tourists in the United States is also expected to plunge 10.9 percent.

The Travel Economics firm said: "The Trump administration's polarizing policies and rhetoric... Will curb travel to the United States. Some organisations will also be pressured to avoid holding events or sending staff to the US, which will cut business travel."

Adam Sacks, chairman of Travel Economics, said it was a "negative effect on the U.S." and the final numbers could be worse than forecast.

The World Tourism Forum Institute echoed that view, saying that strict immigration policies in the United States, a strong dollar and global political tensions "may significantly affect" foreign tourist arrivals, and warned that it "could reshape tourism in the United States in the coming years."

After taking office, Trump has swung a series of tariffs and restrictions on immigration, and made controversial plans for the Russia-Ukraine and Gaza wars.

The tourism industry could lose about $64 billion this year

Back home, cuts to government agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and thousands of layoffs of civil servants have affected domestic tourism rates.

The report estimates that the U.S. tourism industry could lose about $64 billion in revenue this year due to declining domestic and international travel.

According to a December survey of residents of 16 European and Asian countries by polling firm YouGov, 35 percent of respondents said they were unlikely to travel to the United States under Trump; 22% are likely to travel to the United States.

Canadians who are deterred by tariffs will lose the most tourists

The U.S. Travel Association warned in early February that the imposition of U.S. tariffs on Canada would deter Canadian tourists. Canadians were the largest group of foreign visitors to the United States last year, at 20.4 million.

New York welcomed 12.9 million visitors last year, but the decline has been so dramatic that many Canadians have canceled travel reservations and online searches for hotels or Broadway shows are down, said Julie Coker, director of the city's tourism department.

Corker last month cut his forecast for this year, but said only Canadians were refusing to travel to the United States under Trump. "We are not seeing a decline in UK or European visitors at the moment... We'll keep an eye on that."

However, as the United States has tightened immigration and borders, the United Kingdom and Germany have warned citizens to pay special attention to their travel documents when traveling to avoid arrest.

United Airlines has also noted a "significant drop" in travel from Canada to the United States, with even domestic travel demand falling.

Experts point out that Americans seem to be panicked about the economic outlook, while the risks of recession, inflation and a rising dollar are also causing concern among tourists.

More than that, tighter immigration policies could have an impact on major sporting events hosted by the United States, including this year's Ryder Cup, next year's World Cup and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.