But consider the level four warnings it issues about North Korea or Russia, other homes to authoritarian oligarchs. Yep. Smartraveller is all over them: “Do Not Travel.” Obviously. Look, I’d even settle for “reconsider your need to travel”. Or maybe “exercise a high degree of caution”. But it genuinely requires a travel warning that will let Australians know this: that way madness – or detention – lies.
The number of Australian visitors to the US in March 2025 was down by 7 per cent compared with March 2024.Credit: Bloomberg
If you don’t want to be the first among your friends to just say no, let me point you to some role models. Our international friends are also changing their travel plans. The Financial Times just published a graph which revealed the year-on-year change in visitors to the US by country of origin. It shows a drop of more than 20 per cent from some countries – and more than 30 per cent from Greenland. Those folks are probably terrified they will end up in a hostage swap for their homeland. And Canadians are also resisting so hard that Governor of California Gavin Newsom is now pleading on video: “Sure, you-know-who is trying to stir things up back in DC, but don’t let that ruin your beach plans.”
I wanted to know what was happening here. Had the travel sector noticed anything?
In a lamentably dull response from James Kavanagh, Flight Centre Travel Group chief executive leisure, he said (via his PR team and email) that the US has always been a “firm favourite” for Australians. Der.
“With that being said, we must acknowledge the political environment in the U.S. and the fact that it may influence Australians’ decisions on where they choose to travel. For example, looking at the first quarter of 2024 compared to Q1 2025, while we’ve seen a slight decline in bookings to the USA, we’ve seen a significant uplift in bookings to East Asia and Northern Europe.”
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Yeah, the ABS noticed a difference and so did the US International Trade Administration. The number of visitors to the US from Australia in March 2025 was down by 7 per cent compared with March 2024.
Kavanagh also put in a plug for cheaper airfares between the US and Australia. Sigh. I hope he and his team are also recommending travel insurance which deals honestly with stressful events like these.
Still not convinced you should avoid Anaheim? Wait! There’s more. A giant outbreak of measles, a giant outbreak of whooping cough. An arson attack on the home of Jewish Democrat governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro. Our dollar is like a kid on a trampoline against the greenback so it’s not like you will actually be able to plan for a big splurge. And then there are the guns, so many guns.
Want some options? Ignore Flight Centre’s specials on flights to Los Angeles. Japan is bloody glorious all year round. Political craziness is at absolutely minimum there and the kindness and charm of the locals at maximum. That includes folks who work in border security. Plus! You can still visit Disneyland.
Jenna Price is a regular columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
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