Tourism to the US declined in early 2017: report

The U.S. saw a noticeable drop in international tourism during the first few months of 2017, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. 

Visitors to the U.S. decreased by 697,791 over the first three months of the year, according to new data from the Department of Commerce. 

The new data represents a 4.2 percent drop from the previous year, resulting in an estimated $2.7 billion in losses, according to the Times. Comparatively, international tourism saw a 6.4 percent increase during the beginning of 2013, following the reelection of President Barack Obama.

{mosads}Tourism had previously been in decline during the global recession at the time of Obama’s first term, the Times reported. 

The decrease in international tourism coincided with a survey by the Pew Research Center that found only 49 percent of participants from 37 countries held a favorable view of the U.S., as compared to a favorable view of 64 percent when Obama left office. 

The results come amid criticism of President Trump’s crackdown on immigration, including a travel ban that would prevent people from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the country. Additionally, Trump has repeatedly vowed to build a wall along the southern U.S. border. 

The Times notes, however, that the results are not proof that Trump’s positions have had a “ripple effect” on tourism.