A third of international travellers say they are less likely to visit the US if proposals to scrutinise social media accounts are brought in, according to a survey.
It suggests proposals to screen visitors’ social media accounts and family histories – as announced last month – could cut tourism spending by $15bn (£10.8bn) and impact 157,000 jobs.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has proposed collecting five years’ of social media information from travellers from selected countries – including the UK – who are eligible to visit without a visa through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
The Trump administration has increased monitoring of international travellers and immigrants.
The survey, commissioned by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), interviewed travellers across several of the roughly three dozen countries participating in the ESTA programme.
The findings were combined with economic modelling assessing potential effects on international arrivals, visitor spending, and the wider tourism-related GDP and employment in the US.
Two-thirds (66%) of more than 4,500 respondents said they were aware of the potential changes, suggesting the impact on people’s travel plans could be felt quickly if the new rules are implemented.
Trump defends ‘safety’ measure
December’s announcement stated that CBP would begin requesting additional information, including telephone numbers used by the visitor over the past five years, email addresses used over the past decade, and other details about family members.
Asked at a White House event whether he was concerned the measure might affect US tourism, President Donald Trump disagreed.
“We want safety, we want security, we want to make sure we’re not letting the wrong people come into our country,” he said.
The announcement did not specify what the administration would be looking for in social media accounts or why more extensive information was required.
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Change ‘risks 150,000 jobs’
Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of the WTTC, said: “Security at the US border is vital, but the planned policy changes will damage job creation, which the US administration values so much.
“Our research finds that over 150,000 jobs could be lost if this policy goes ahead – about the same number usually created each quarter in the US.
“Even modest shifts in visitor behaviour, discouraged by the planned changes, will have real economic consequences for US travel and tourism, particularly in a highly competitive global market.”
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The increased focus on social media screening has angered immigration and free speech advocates, who are concerned about the administration’s intentions and whether the measures could target critics of the government.
Ms Guevara added: “WTTC urges US policymakers to carefully assess this policy and its consequences for the economy and jobs.
“Travel and tourism is a critical driver of the American economy, job creation and international connectivity, with one in 10 jobs globally supported by the sector.”
According to the US commerce department, international visitor arrivals to the US in March 2025 totalled approximately 5.4 million, around 86.4% of the visitor volume recorded in March 2019, showing that inbound tourism remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels.
Sky News has contacted the US embassy in London for comment.
