European arrivals to the United States in March saw their sharpest decline since the 2009 financial crisis.
Belgian travel to the US dropped by 16% since President Donald Trump's second term, according to reports by L'Echo and De Tijd on Tuesday.
In March 2025, 905,603 visitors from Western Europe entered the US, marking a 17% year-on-year decrease, the worst annual drop (excluding the pandemic) since 2009. This decline coincided with the US entering a major recession due to the financial crisis.
Specifically, 18,824 Belgians visited the US last month, which is a 16% decrease compared to a year earlier. The decline has intensified over the previous months, falling 9% in February and 3% in January.
Tourism sector leaders have confirmed a significant reduction in bookings for US trips.
'Relatively safe'
The Belgian Foreign Affairs travel advisory site considers the US a "relatively safe country for tourists." However, it warns that travellers risk temporary detention at the border or deportation on the next flight home.
This follows reports of tourists being detained by US Customs and Border Protection for several days, sometimes without obvious reasons, according to the newspaper.
