A British tourist flying to New York City looked around her cabin and saw something she described as a “chilling” sign: row after row of empty seats on a route that is usually packed. Her video, framed as evidence that the world is starting to boycott the United States, has tapped into a wider anxiety about how welcome, or unwelcome, America feels to foreign visitors. I want to look at what that viral moment really tells us, and how it fits into a broader pattern of travelers rethinking trips to the US.
The viral flight that sparked a bigger question
The clip that set off the latest debate came from a British traveler named Jan, who filmed herself on a transatlantic flight bound for NYC and panned across a cabin that appeared sparsely populated. In her narration, Jan suggested that the half empty plane was a sign that people were starting to avoid the US altogether, a claim that quickly resonated with viewers who see travel choices as a form of protest. The video, shared widely on social media, showed Jan describing herself simply as a Tourist and casting the quiet cabin as a referendum on America’s global standing.
Airline staff pushed back on the idea that one quiet flight proves a geopolitical boycott, pointing instead to routine fluctuations in demand and scheduling. A spokesperson for the carrier, which Jan identified in her post, noted that load factors can vary by day and route, even on services into NYC that are usually busy with British and other European travelers. In the same online discussion, Jan and other commenters also raised concerns about stricter US entry rules and the hassle of dealing with immigration, echoing language in related coverage that highlighted growing Concern Over US among foreign visitors.
From one quiet cabin to a pattern of hesitation
One viral video does not prove that the world is boycotting the US, but it lands at a moment when multiple data points suggest a real shift in sentiment. Analysts who examined passenger flows through 20 major airports reported what they called International Traveler Hesitation, tying softer demand in part to unease over US policies on tariffs and immigration. Those Reports describe travelers who still want to see the United States but are increasingly wary of the experience at the border and the political climate they will encounter once they arrive.
Border statistics tell a similar story. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, often shortened to CBP, has recorded a drop in foreign arrivals that travel experts interpret as evidence that International visitors are avoiding the United States and redirecting trips to other destinations. One analysis of CBP counts concluded that crossings of the northern border have fallen sharply, while some of those same travelers are choosing to travel to their instead. That shift does not amount to a universal boycott, but it does suggest that Jan’s empty seats are part of a broader cooling.
Why some travelers now call the US a ‘hostile state’
Behind the numbers are people who say they no longer feel safe or welcome in America. Travel writers have documented voices from Europe, Latin America and the Middle East who describe the US as a hostile state, citing aggressive border questioning, unpredictable visa decisions and fears about gun violence. In one widely shared account, Lindsey Galloway reported on travelers who have cancelled long planned trips after their governments issued advisories warning about the risks of travel to the US, a country that still attracts more international tourism than any other nation but now feels, to some, like a place to avoid. Her piece, illustrated with Getty Images and credited photography, captured a mood that Jan’s video distilled into a single quiet cabin.
Those personal decisions are increasingly political. Some travelers say they are staying away explicitly to protest President Donald Trump and his policies, folding their holiday plans into a broader movement of economic pressure. Others are less focused on Washington and more on the practicalities of entry, pointing to long queues, electronic travel authorizations and the risk of being turned away at the border as reasons to skip the trip. The same reporting that quoted Lindsey Galloway also highlighted how more than any, the US is now the focus of organized calls for travel boycotts, something that would have seemed unthinkable when its soft power was at its peak.
The ‘Trump slump’ and what the numbers actually show
Industry analysts have been tracking what some call a “Trump slump” in foreign tourism, a phrase that captures the idea that political headwinds are finally showing up in booking data. One detailed look at arrivals found that negative sentiment shift is expected to persist, driven by what researchers described as an evolving mix of Trump administration factors, from geopolitics to immigration enforcement. One traveler quoted in that analysis said he would not visit the US while Donald Trump remained in office because he did not want his spending to be seen as support for the president’s political beliefs, a stance that turns a personal vacation into a public statement.
At the same time, the picture is not one of total collapse. Another data rich review of arrivals concluded that Visitors have not stopped booking trips to the United States, and that many traditional summer destinations remain busy. The exception, according to that analysis, is a sharp pullback from Canadians, who are described as angered by US trade and border policies and are choosing to spend their money elsewhere. That nuance matters: Jan’s empty flight fits into a story of uneven, politically charged demand, not a simple free fall.
Boycotts move from hashtags to hard choices
The idea of a boycott becomes most concrete when people walk away from tickets they already hold. Earlier this month, organizers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup learned that Fans overseas had cancelled 16,800 tickets and were publicly demanding a boycott of what they called “Trump USA.” Those fans, who once dreamed of waving flags and shouting goals in American stadiums, now describe the host country as a personal risk and say they would rather watch from afar than navigate a political environment they distrust. Their decision turns a global sporting event into another stage for protest against the current White House.
For travelers who still come, the experience is shaped as much by perception as by policy. Some arrive in iconic cities such as New York or Los Angeles and find the same mix of culture, food and energy that has long defined American tourism, while others focus on the tense moments at passport control or the political billboards on the highway. Jan’s story, amplified through a Video that framed her half empty cabin as a “miracle” of extra space on a long Flight, sits at the intersection of those realities. It captures both the practical upside of softer demand for some passengers and the deeper unease that is leading others to stay away.
Whether the world is truly boycotting the US is still contested. What is clear, from CBP data on the United States border to first person accounts of British and other travelers, is that politics now sits in the boarding gate right alongside passports and carry on bags. As more people like Jan turn their personal journeys into public commentary, each empty row or cancelled ticket becomes part of a larger argument about what kind of country the US wants to be, and how the rest of the world chooses to respond.
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