General Discussion

Without exception, they are coming for family or work reasons. My wife will come because she loves our annual Cape Cod vacations, and itVs the only time of years when no one is pestering us for anything. My younger daughter, the one who lives here in Germany, will come because she loves Cape Cod, too, and her stepsons visit their grandparents in Oregon. My elder daughter already lives in New York. My European colleagues will come for work reasons.

On the other hand, I know of NOBODY who has booked a trip to the USA for strictly touristic reasons. "Not right now" is the universal response of those who have neither family nor work reasons to go. It's not even because of expensive food or fear of being shot by some trigger-happy homicidal asshole with a badge and a license to kill. They just say it's not the kind of place they want to spend a vacation these days. I get the impression that many want reassurance that we are still a country that can still elect a Joe Biden as president, and that we are NOT a country that will succumb to allowing another Trump or Trump-like administration to succeed this one.