Trump’s Travel Impact, Overtourism & New Travel Advisories: Destination News From March

March madness isn’t just for basketball: it’s for destinations, too. This month, TravelPulse covered quite a bit of news about how overtourism is impacting different destinations worldwide, what Trump’s impact on the American travel industry looks like to-date and much more. 

We begin with some good news: Amsterdam is celebrating its 750th anniversary this year with a whole annual calendar filled with fun events, including 24 Hour Amsterdam, Future Fest, an even bigger King’s Day celebration and much more. 

Additionally, the island of Saint Martin joined the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) this month. The alliance further strengthens Eastern Caribbean relationships and provides greater opportunities for mutual aid and economic prosperity. 

Overtourism

Overtourism is always a big headline. In March, we reported on the true cost of traveling to Venice (hint: it’s less about the money and more about the crowds) and highlighted what major destinations around the world have been doing in recent years to combat the negative impacts of overtourism. 

Curaçao began a Destination Carrying Capacity Study as it celebrates record popularity. Its goal is to create an action plan for a sustainable tourism model that is high-value and low-impact, preserving its cultural, historical and environmental heritage while still growing its tourism industry. 

New Travel Advisories

There have been quite a few changes to travel advisories this March: namely, the US Department of State changed the travel advisories for two Caribbean nations: Turks and Caicos and Trinidad and Tobago. 

Turks and Caicos was reissued a Level 2 warning due to crime, to which the nation responded by putting into greater context: the island nation has been categorized as a Level 2 since 2023. Tourism has continued to thrive regardless. 

The State Department’s updated advisory for Trinidad and Tobago increased the advisory to Level 3: Reconsider Travel, in large part due to serious crime, including kidnapping and terrorism. The Caribbean nation has been under a state of emergency due to criminal activity since December 2024.

Trump’s Travel Impact

We at TravelPulse have also been covering the impact of the Trump Administration’s plans this month: as Canadians dig into the American freeze, Hawaiian tourism officials express increased concern as Canadians cancel their travel plans to the state due to Trump’s tariff war. 

And new details have emerged for Trump’s upcoming travel plan, along with a potential list of over 40 countries that might be impacted. Some popular Caribbean islands, including Antigua and Barbuda, expressed concern about being on the list, which would restrict, at least partially, the ability of their citizens to visit the U.S. 

Additionally, European countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands have all issued new guidance for their citizens heading to the U.S. due to Trump’s recent plans. 

The first piece of guidance is about Trump’s executive order stating that the U.S. only recognizes the gender a person was assigned at birth; the nations recommend travelers contact their U.S. embassy to ensure they will be able to enter the United States. 

The second piece of guidance is encouragement for travelers to adhere to entry rules and a warning that the United States border officials may turn them away even if they were approved to enter. This warning comes after several foreign nationals—including Germans, Canadians and British nationals—were detained upon entry into the United States, sometimes for weeks without a formal charge. 

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