Europeans cancel U.S. trip in protest against Trump's policies

Danish traveler Kennet Brask loved his fishing trip to Florida two years ago and was planning to return this year. But after watching U.S. President Donald Trump's explosive meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the White House, he called it off.

"When I saw this meeting, I told myself, 'I'm never going to go to the United States as long as Mr. Trump is the president there,'" Brask told Reuters, adding that Trump was "so rude" and didn't behave like a grown-up.

Brask is not alone. Other Europeans are also canceling their trips to the U.S. in protest against Trump's policies, which have deeply angered them, according to various news reports.

Since taking office in January, the 47th American president has shaken up the global geopolitical landscape left by his predecessor, first by his gestures to improve relations with Moscow and then by suggestions about annexing Greenland while starting a global trade war.

Trump's rhetoric on Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, has been a particularly sensitive issue for Danes. One Dane, Kim Kugel Sorenson, told Reuters he canceled a trip to California for a family friend's wedding and removed stars and stripes from a tattoo so as not to appear to be pro-American.

A survey conducted by CGTN among 15,257 respondents across 38 countries earlier this month showed that Trump's "America First" policy is severely impacting U.S.-Europe relations and trust in the U.S. among respondents from its traditional allies is rapidly declining.

Three out of two European respondents condemned the "America First" policy, criticizing its disregard for the legitimate interests of other nations.

According to EU figures, Europeans spent $155 billion on travel to the U.S. in 2023. However, travel agents and data firms are already feeling the impact since Trump, noting a drop in searches for trips from Europe to the U.S.

"We have taken an active decision to not spend a dime on marketing for any tours to the USA due to both the lack of client response and the current situation and attitude towards Denmark and Greenland in particular," Steen Albrechtsen, a senior product manager at Albatros Travel in Copenhagen, told Reuters.

(With input from agencies)