US plan to expand social media screening for foreign visitors could strip as much as $15.7 billion from tourism spending this year, the World Travel and Tourism Council warned, as prospective travelers say the policy would make the country less welcoming.
In a survey of people in visa-exempt countries considering trips to the United States, 34% said they would be somewhat or much less likely to visit in the next two to three years if the measures take effect, according to the council. Based on that sentiment, the group estimates the US could see 4.7 million fewer international arrivals this year, a 24% decline from average levels, and potentially lose 157,000 tourism-related jobs.
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The proposed rules, laid out in December, would cover visitors from 42 visa-waiver countries, including Ireland, Britain, France, Australia and Japan. Under the plan, submitting social media data — including use history from the past five years — would become a mandatory part of Electronic System for Travel Authorization applications. Applicants would also be required to provide additional “high-value” data fields, including phone numbers from the past five years, email addresses from the past decade, personal details of family members and biometric information.
The WTTC, which represents leading travel companies, said most respondents in its survey believe the requirements would make the US feel less attractive for both leisure and business travel. “Security at the US border is vital but the planned policy changes will damage job creation,” council president Gloria Guevara said in a statement.
The warning underscores industry concerns that expanded digital vetting could have a chilling effect on demand, not only by increasing the administrative burden for short-term visitors but by raising privacy and data-security worries among travelers who might otherwise choose the US for holidays, conferences or investment-related trips.
The council’s latest alert follows a similar warning last May, when it said immigration crackdowns by the administration of President Donald Trump — including high-profile enforcement patrols in major cities — risked driving away visitors and could result in a $12.5 billion decline in foreign tourism revenue in 2025.
The stakes are significant. In 2024, travel and tourism contributed $2.6 trillion to the US economy and supported more than 20 million jobs, the WTTC said. The sector generated more than $585 billion in tax revenues, accounting for almost 7% of the total, underscoring how quickly a drop in international arrivals can ripple through airlines, hotels, restaurants, attractions and retail.
While the proposed screening aims to tighten border security by giving authorities a broader picture of an applicant’s digital identity and contacts, industry leaders argue that the breadth of the data sought — social media histories, multiple years of phone and email records, and family details — goes beyond typical visa-waiver requirements and could prompt travelers to choose destinations with fewer friction points.
The WTTC’s findings highlight a widening divide between security priorities and the economic imperative to keep the US competitive in a global travel market that has been recovering unevenly. With visa-waiver travelers typically among the highest-spending visitors, even a modest pullback could weigh on state and local tax receipts and employment in service-heavy regions that depend on international tourism.
The proposal remains a flashpoint for the sector as it plans for peak travel seasons. Travel companies and destination marketing organizations are urging policymakers to calibrate any new screening so that it addresses security concerns without sending a message that the US is harder to visit.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
