Ahead of a proposed rule change that will require social media account data from some international travelers to the United States, worldwide journey experts are saying the policy could additional deter guests from coming to the US — a decline that could translate into billions of {dollars} in misplaced income for the journey sector.
The warning — from the World Travel & Tourism Council — comes after the international industry group surveyed practically 5,000 worldwide residents who commonly journey overseas and located one-third of respondents could be considerably or a lot much less more likely to go to the US if candidates to the Visa Waiver Program are required to submit details about their social media accounts.
The potential decline in travelers could value the US an estimated $15.7 billion in misplaced customer spending, in line with WTTC. Under one state of affairs, the US could miss out on as many as 4.7 million worldwide arrivals, which might characterize a 23% drop in guests from ESTA nations in 2026.
Gloria Guevara, president of WTTC, advised NCS the proposed change could value the US greater than 150,000 jobs and “put the US at a competitive disadvantage.”
The travelers affected produce other vacation spot choices, she mentioned in an interview on NCS International’s “Quest Means Business,” and so they contemplate the request for social media account data “intrusive.”
“There are so many places to travel, and the ESTA travelers will choose another destination,” she mentioned. “We will see a decline and the decline is translated into jobs.”
Last 12 months was a banner 12 months in journey globally, she famous; nations throughout the world noticed will increase in the quantity of guests.
“That was not the case for the US,” she mentioned.
Two-thirds of the 4,563 travelers surveyed – who hail from Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom, amongst different nations – mentioned they had been conscious of the proposed policy already. And a big share of them mentioned it might make the US really feel much less welcoming and fewer enticing for each leisure and enterprise journey, in line with the WTTC survey outcomes.
The proposed rule change, which was posted final 12 months on the Federal Register by US Customs and Border Protection, would have an effect on travelers utilizing the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, as half of a Visa Waiver Program for residents from greater than three dozen nations that embrace England, Australia, Japan, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Chile and Qatar.
ESTA is a web-based utility that grants guests from the 42 eligible nations the proper to go to the US for beneath 90 days with no visa. Currently guests who use ESTA are requested to provide data similar to passport numbers, delivery dates and prior legal exercise.
According to the proposal in the Federal Register, the new policy could be in accordance with one of President Trump’s govt orders aimed toward defending the US from international terrorists and lowering public security threats.
It’s unclear precisely what social media data could be required or how the data collected would influence travelers who need to come to the US. The Federal Register posting says ESTA candidates would wish to offer “social media from the last 5 years.”
A query requesting social media data was initially added to the utility in 2016, with the part marked as “optional.” The data could be necessary beneath the new proposal.
NCS Travel has requested extra data from CBP.
But in line with the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association, authorities officers have advised them privately guests would wish to offer account names or handles however wouldn’t be required to offer entry to accounts or particular posts and the CBP wouldn’t evaluation each applicant’s social media exercise.
“CBP has been explicit that social media accounts would not be reviewed for comments, posts or activity critical of President Trump or other political leaders. Under the proposal, CBP would collect usernames solely to check them against classified information the government already has,” the affiliation mentioned in a post on its blog this month.
The policy, nevertheless, stays of nice concern for the affiliation, which famous Miami will likely be one of the hosts of the FIFA World Cup.
“Our success depends on the ease, and perception of ease, of international travel,” mentioned the resort affiliation.
In a separate transfer, the State Department has already instructed embassies and consulates that they might scrutinize scholar visa candidates for “hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles.”
According to these tips, candidates are required to make their profiles public, and lack of a web-based social media historical past could be seen as a damaging issue that could rely in opposition to them in the utility course of.
The new proposal — which will likely be open for public remark till February 9 – looms as the US is already seeing a drop in worldwide guests, which could have a chilling impact on marquee occasions this 12 months similar to America’s 250th birthday celebration and the World Cup video games in soccer.
The U.S. Travel Association reported a 3.5% decline in inbound abroad journey in November in contrast with November 2024, which was in step with statistics from the entire second half of 2025. Travel from Canada is down double digits, the group famous, though Canada wouldn’t be affected by the proposed rule change.
In an announcement launched final 12 months, officers with U.S. Travel mentioned the proposed policy for ESTA candidates was worrisome, notably with out extra data from the CBP about the rule change.
“There are legitimate questions from travelers about what information they might need to provide, and from security experts as to whether this policy would meaningfully increase America’s security,” the group’s assertion learn. “One thing that isn’t in question: this policy could have a chilling effect on travel to the United States.”
The proposed adjustments to the visa waiver utility would additionally embrace including fields for candidates to offer telephone numbers used over the previous 5 years and e-mail addresses used over a 10-year interval, plus contact data for shut relations, together with their birthplaces, residences and telephone numbers over the prior 5 years.
Since taking workplace, the Trump administration has made sweeping adjustments to nearly every facet of the immigration course of, tightening each authorized and unlawful kind of entry into the United States.
And it’s created concern for these in the journey sector that worldwide guests will go elsewhere.
“Visa Waiver Program travelers come here to do deals with American businesses, buy American products and experience the beauty of our great nation,” the U.S. Travel Association mentioned in an announcement. “If we get this policy wrong, millions of travelers could take their business and the billions of dollars they spend elsewhere, only making America weaker.”