Social media inspection risks turning off international travelers to the U.S.

The big picture: The nation's major travel companies and tourist attractions — airlines, hotels, amusement parks and cities like Las Vegas, New York and Orlando — rely on a steady influx of overseas travelers.

• "Fewer visitors from outside the country want to visit us, and many foreigners who did want to visit us will change their minds if they have to turn over their social media posts," University of Michigan business professor Erik Gordon tells Axios.
• "The social media rule would catch some extremists," he adds, "but it also would discourage visits from nice, young people because young people are the ones who tend to post something immature and embarrassing."

What's next: Erik Hansen, senior vice president and head of government relations of industry group U.S. Travel Association, said in a statement: "We are reviewing the proposed changes and working with the administration to ensure we can safely and efficiently welcome millions of visitors for the World Cup and other major global events."

• The World Cup kicks off in June.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection has put the proposal out for comment for 60 days.
• "If the changes are then approved by the Office of Management and Budget, CBP may implement the changes in stages over the following weeks and months," the immigration law firm Fragomen said on its website.

By the numbers: Places that rely on international travelers have already been feeling the pain.

• In 2025, international overnight arrivals will have dropped an estimated 6.3%, according to the Oxford Economics company Tourism Economics.
• "This steep contraction in international visitation is weighing on U.S. hotel performance," dragging down demand by about 1% in 2025, according to the Tourism Economics report published Nov. 26.

The new policy could also erode business travel, a lucrative stream of revenue for airlines like Delta, United and American, and for hotel chains like Marriott and Hilton.

• 59% of organizations said they expected U.S. entry visa policies to have a high impact or some impact on their business travel plans, according to a Global Business Travel Association survey published Oct. 30.

• The survey also indicated that some international business travelers have refused to come to the U.S. due to concerns about safety, border restrictions, visas and the like.

The new social media rules follow an executive order President Trump signed on inauguration day calling for "the visa-issuance process to ensure that those aliens approved for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans or our national interests."

• They must "not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles, and do not advocate for, aid or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security," the executive order says.

What they're saying: "Screening must keep travelers and our nation safe, but it must also keep the United States competitive," Hansen of the U.S. Travel Association said. "If we fail to deliver an efficient, secure and modern vetting process, international visitors will choose other destinations."

• Officials from tourism boards in several international destinations — including New York, Las Vegas and Chicago — did not respond to requests for comment.

What to watch for: Whether tourism destinations switch strategies.

• The hospitality industry will need to "focus more on domestic travelers," Gordon says.