(NewsNation) — The Trump administration is reportedly considering a travel ban on as many as 43 countries.
The New York Times reported that officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the list of countries to be banned was developed by the State Department, and changes are likely by the time it reaches the White House.
Travel editor Peter Greenberg said while some countries on the list don’t come as a surprise, such as Yemen or Syria, others are, such as countries in the Caribbean.
“Even the announcement that they’re being proposed on the list is sending a chill through the travel industry,” Greenberg said. “A lot of people rethinking their travel plans — and that’s a bad thing for everybody.”
Decline in Canadian visitors to US: Statistics Canada
There has been a drop in the last five and a half weeks of foreign visitors to the U.S., Greenberg said. This includes visitors from Canada.
Statistics Canada reported that Canadian residents flew back from 585,700 trips to the U.S. in February — a 13.1% decline from last year. The country recently changed its rules for traveling to the United States amid concerns surrounding some of Trump’s policies.
Canadians will soon need to register with US authorities
Starting April 11, Canadians who will be in the United States for more than 30 days will have to register with U.S. authorities. If they don’t, it could result in “penalties, fines and misdemeanors,” according to a travel advisory.
Ironically, though, airfares have been going down in the midst of this, Greenberg added.
The Vancouver Sun reported that this rule was previously enforced. This advisory comes as Canadian and other foreign visitors have been detained at the U.S. border over visa concerns and documentation mismatches, according to Newsweek.
Canada and US in trade war
Adding to the tension between Canada and U.S. is the trade war, as well as Trump’s repeated remarks that Canada should be the 51st state.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged those from Canada to stay in the country for vacations in a speech, The New York Times reported.
72-year-old Harold White from Quebec told the New York Times that he decided that he would no longer be traveling to the U.S. unless it’s “absolutely necessary.”
“I feel like Canadians have been slapped across the face by Trump,” White said.
