Restrictive visa policy sponsored by Trump keeps tourists away from the World Cup and shakes the hotel sector in the USA

Somali referee scheduled for the World Cup is denied entry to the US by the Trump administration
The World Cup only starts on Thursday, but it has already revealed a loser in the US - the hotel sector, which has seen falling occupancy rates in the country's 11 host cities. Expectations are pessimistic, especially when compared to the other 5 cities in Mexico and Canada, which also host the games and boast a greater flow of hotel reservations.
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This scenario is credited, in large part, to the Trump administration's restrictive visa and immigration policy, which has been alienating football fans from countries targeted by the USA, leading them to divert their route to the other two host countries of the World Cup.
Of the 48 teams competing, the delegations from Haiti and Iran face bans from entering the country. Ivory Coast and Senegal are subject to partial restrictions, while other teams have postponed travel due to difficulties in obtaining visas.
The tournament has not yet started, but hostile incidents sponsored by American airport security are highlighted.
Appointed by FIFA as the best referee in Africa, Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was stopped by immigration after being interrogated for 11 hours, and will not officiate at the World Cup. Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was held for seven hours at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The security sector claimed that they confused the hero of the Iraqi national team with someone else.
The fear of facing rigorous searches at American airports and being deported demotivates tourists.
According to the company CoStar, which analyzes data in the hotel sector, Vancouver, in Canada, and Guadalajara, in Mexico, are the most sought after cities, with 48% of hotel vacancies filled. In American cities, performance is considered disappointing and, with the exception of Los Angeles, occupancy does not reach the 40% mark.
Around 80% of owners interviewed in a survey by the Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) reported that hotel reservations were below initial forecasts. Seventy percent said visa restrictions and geopolitical concerns have significantly reduced international tourist demand.
"A number of factors have tempered initial optimism, although indicators show that there are still significant opportunities ahead. To realize this potential, the US and FIFA must ensure a welcoming and smooth experience for foreign travelers", ponders AHLA President Rosanna Maietta.
Other factors, such as the exorbitant price of tickets and transport costs, contributed to keeping tourists away from the tournament.
The decline in the tourism sector began to be detected at the beginning of Trump's second term in the White House, following the ban on the entry of citizens from 39 countries and the interruption of immigration visas in 75 countries.
This restrictive policy was imposed by FIFA, which runs the tournament, but finds itself incapable of getting around the border barriers erected by the Trump administration.
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"The World Cup trophy is for the winners; that's why you can hold it," FIFA president Gianni Infantino told Donald Trump.
CNP/ADM/Capital Pictures/picture alliance via DW

Source: G1