Survey after survey has shown that the United States’ international popularity has steadily declined in recent years. That trend now appears appears to be accelerating during U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term.
The American chattering classes tend to discuss the dangers of the country’s worsening image in terms of geopolitics and waning “soft power”—and they’re not entirely wrong. Washington’s globe-spanning alliances have long been one of its major strengths. If countries come to regard the United States as an unattractive partner with which they no longer share affinities, that can have real consequences for Washington’s ability to assert its interests overseas.
But declining appeal can also be measured in dollars—and in one sector, this is becoming increasingly evident. The U.S. tourism industry, which experienced a strong rebound in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, was hoping that 2025 would be a banner year. Instead, it’s turned out to be a disaster for reasons that aren’t likely to go away anytime soon. That, in turn, has ominous implications for foreign attendance at this year’s World Cup, billed as one of the biggest international get-togethers in recent memory. Bookings are already lagging behind expectations, and industry professionals are fretting over a possible “washout.”
