In perhaps one final swing at the challenged tourism industry in the US this year, the Trump administration is now proposing that inbound travellers, including Australians, may be required to show five years of their social media history in order to enter.
This is in addition to possibly having to hand over other high-value data fields to the visa waiver application, such as phone numbers for the past five years, email addresses for the past 10 years, IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos, family member names (plus their phone numbers, birthdates, birth places and places of residence) and biometrics such as face, fingerprint, DNA and business contact details.
According to Vialto immigration specialist Stacey Tsui, this is all part of a broader strategy for the US, which has been focused on vetting in and outbound US visitors for some time.
“We don’t necessarily anticipate more people being disadvantaged, but clearly the US Government wants to review people’s personal lives, which might be unsettling and seen as an invasion of privacy,” she told travelBulletin.
“Also, it’s not clear what the government is looking for. If you attended a protest in the past, would that be a basis to deny your ESTA or deny your visa? That is not clear right now, but that is the fear.”
It’s quite a setback for Australian travellers, who can usually easily enter the US. While the fee for the ESTA application may have doubled this year, approval usually only takes a day or two for Aussies, but these new rules could add days to it – and that’s if your application actually goes through. Let’s not even mention the significant invasion of privacy.
If it’s denied, travellers would then need to apply for a B-1 visa from a US consulate, which can include wait times of months or even a year just for an appointment, said Tsui.
However, Flight Centre Travel Group Chief Executive Officer James Kavanagh does not believe any potential downturn will last forever – just as the introduction of tariffs in April only temporarily deterred visitors.
“Aussies are resilient travellers so from our point of view, it won’t last forever,” he told travelBulletin.
“We send tens of thousands of customers to the United States every year because it’s a firm favourite holiday spot, so it takes a lot to deter people from travelling there.
“It’s times like these where it does really pay to book with a travel agent who can help you with your visa applications and make sure you’ve met all the requirements you need to.”
The US Travel Association predicted back in October that international visits would resume growth in 2026 with 70.4 million visits, surpassing historic highs with 81.9 million in 2029…but in the same breath, it warned that “the US risks further decreasing international inbound visits based on potential increases in visa fees, extended wait times for visa applications and renewals, and negative sentiment towards the U.S. in key market”.
What a blow for a tourism industry that was expecting a mega decade of sporting events, including the FIFA 2026 World Cup, America’s 250th Anniversary, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033 and the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
The bill is yet to pass the lower or upper houses, but it could be argued the damage has already been done.
What do travel advisors think about the situation? Has it dented business or pushed their clients in new direction? If you have an opinion on that, our new journalist James Bale would love to here from you – you can email him on [email protected].
IN OTHER NEWS (by Myles Stedman)
December is often a quiet month for travel news, but this month had absolutely no interest in proving to be that.
The week started fast, with Virgin Australia and China Southern Airlines announcing on Monday they have agreed to a codeshare, which will launch early next year.
The partnership will significantly boost China Southern’s network in the Oceania region, offering passengers travelling between China and Australia “a more diverse, convenient, and efficient travel experience”.
The codeshare was announced at a China Southern event in Sydney on Monday night, where the airline was celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Sydney-Guangzhou route.
“China Southern and Virgin Australia will continue to explore new opportunities for international cooperation, unlocking more appealing destinations for our passengers,” Deputy Director General of the airline’s Commercial Steering Committee Zhang Dongsheng said.
The week also saw two acquisitions, with the news on Tuesday morning of Experience Co selling its Wild Bush Luxury brand to Intrepid Travel for $5.1 million.
Wild Bush’s portfolio includes the Arkaba Homestead and Arkaba Walk in South Australia, Bamurru Plains in the NT, as well as The Maria Island Walk in Tasmania.
The deal also includes the right to develop future experiences in New South Wales and Tasmania.
Also changing hands this week was major United Kingdom-based online travel agency Iglu, which Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) bought for £127 million (around A$254.5 million).
This sale price is comprised of an upfront payment of £100 million, and £27 million in performance-based earnouts.
Iglu’s platform will be integrated across FCTG’s leisure brands to create a unified, omni-channel experience for customers.
FCTG believes Iglu will accelerate its growth prospects in the high-margin cruise sector, which makes up about 90% of Iglu’s bookings.
The acquisition will also expand its footprint and technological access to the United Kingdom – the third-largest cruise market in the world.
This week also saw two major cruise companies make key appointments, with Wednesday bringing the news of former Cunard Line head Katrina McAlpine joining MSC Group as the Managing Director of its cruise division, beginning 12 January.
McAlpine will lead both the MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys brands out of Sydney, and report into Vice President International Sales Antonio Paradiso, and Global Head of Commercial Strategy & Sales Operations Francesco Iannaccone.
She only recently took up a new role as B2B Director of cruise vacation packager Imagine Cruising in July, after leaving her role with Cunard earlier in the year.
Norwegian Cruise Line also nominated its next leader yesterday, with Marc Kazlauskas taking over from David Herrera as President.
Herrera left Norwegian in August, with Kazlauskas now coming in from Avoya Travel – one of the largest travel businesses in the United States – of which he was Chief Executive Officer.
He will commence his new role on 19 January.
The week also brought some disappointing news, with the announcement from Tauck it will be shutting its Australian office, with local services to be folded into the company’s global network.
The closure will happen in stages throughout next year, with sales team roles to be maintained through to 31 March 2026 and reservations staff kept in place until 15 December 2026.
Well-liked Managing Director David Clark will depart the business, although no date for his exit has been announced yet.
“After a thoughtful review of our global operations, we have determined that integrating our Australian sales and reservations functions into our wider network, will enable us to better support our guests and partners worldwide,” Vice President Global Sales & Service Steve Spivak said.
With that, it is time to enjoy our last weekend before what is, for many, the last full working week of the year.
