Inbound chief insists Trump re-election ‘won't stop US travellers visiting UK’
Harry KembleThe US market will remain the UK’s number one market “by an absolute country mile” even after Donald Trump is sworn into office for a second time on 20 January, the UK’s inbound tourism chief has insisted.
Trump’s historic election victory this week prompted speculation about the impact the result would have on the global travel and tourism sector.
TTG spoke to several UK agents in the hours immediately following confirmation of the election result to assess and gauge the mood throughout the outbound travel sector.
However, speaking to TTG at WTM London, UKinbound chief executive Joss Croft played down the Republican candidate’s return to office, insisting the US would remain the UK’s top source market both in terms of volume and spend.
“The US is our most important market by an absolute country mile," said Croft. "It’s not going to change, as there are common bonds there between the UK and the US. The UK is considered a safe destination for Americans so it doesn’t matter who the president is.”
Croft stressed the genealogical links between Americans and Brits meant the bond between the two nations was stronger than between many other countries.
He dismissed the popular assumption that Americans don’t travel during election years, highlighting how US visitors had flown to the UK in record numbers in 2024.
However, he flagged concerns about the costs international tourists face when travelling to the UK after the World Economic Forum placed the UK 116 out of 117 countries for price competitiveness earlier this year.
“You need to remember destinations which have a tourism tax do not have to pay a 20% VAT,” Croft said.
“Our tourists already pay more tax than many other countries in the world. We have to make sure we’re competitive. If we keep putting up tax, it soon becomes unaffordable.”
Croft added fuel prices could drop under Trump, potentially bringing down the cost of air fares.
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