In the past couple of weeks, there has been an increase of people travelling from Ireland that have been rethinking and even cancelling planned holidays to the United States. The reasoning for this is not just about flight and accommodation prices but with the deeper concerns over the current and ongoing political and social climate in America.
There has also been a number of other European countries who have also decided to stay away from holidaying in the States. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially in Ireland where people are pointing to a mixture of political anxiety and policy shifts in the U.S. which is contributing to a growing uncertainty around travel plans.
According to Irish media outlets, Irish content creators and the public of Ireland, especially younger travellers, students and family’s, they have expressed discomfort over travelling to America over the divisive environment they are offering. Why would we want to travel somewhere where we feel unsafe?
To plan a holiday and spend hard earned money on taking a break abroad, you want to be able to enjoy said holiday and not be thrown into an unsafe environment where peoples civil rights are being taken away right in front of your eyes. The rise in political tensions, civil rights violations and the high profile public policy decisions have contributed to the people travelling from Ireland‘s perception and does not align with their values or sense of personal safety.
Those concerns have then been amplified by changes at the U.S. border with initiatives to surveille and scrutinise incoming visitors social media histories and enforce stricter rules around visa’s, and entry documentation which have drawn attention online and in the media.
Some people have also expressed fear of being detained, questioned on their political views or even being subject to intense border control screening on arrival. While this is not representative of all Irish holidaymakers, these personal accounts and fears show just how heightened political rhetoric and immigration enforcement narratives shape public perceptions.
There has even been calls for the Irish government to cancel their plans to travel to America for St. Patrick’s day and stand by the Irish citizens’ concerns. Although as the representative of the Irish people, the Taoiseach has a responsibility to speak with the U.S. President and stand up for Ireland and the rest of Europe amidst their concerns.
Would you plan a holiday to America with all the concerns happening right now?