Trump’s Immigration Ban Will Potentially Affect the US Economy

After immediately stepping into office, newly elected President Trump announced his plans for an immigration ban. Just like most actions, there is a reaction. The immigration ban could potentially hurt the United States and globalization. The new ban entailed blocking the entry of travelers into the United States from six predominately Muslim countries, known as Yemen, Iran, Libya, Syria, Sudan, and Somalia. What many fail to realize, is the impact that barring these individuals from entering the US will have on American corporations and global business. Trumps travel ban will affect the US economy, affect its relationship with other countries, and reduce necessary innovation.

The United States economy could possibly take a fall if the immigration ban goes as planned. A lot of US corporations will be affected by the immigration ban. Countries like Syria, that are banned, and produce oil, can consequently halt trade with the US, resulting in a major impact to our economy. United States foreign business partners affected by the ban and other countries could potentially retaliate. Those countries could decide at any moment to stop all trade with the United States.

In addition to trading, the US economy will be impacted financially. According to Remo Fritshci of ADS Securities, the US stocks will be affected by the travel ban. He said, “Sweeping bans on admission to the country from a number of nations risks undermining the globalization agenda that has helped pump valuations in a range of U.S.-listed stocks over the last few years, whilst the prospect of similar restrictions being applied to U.S. citizens could also hamper overseas trade initiatives,” (Wasik). This goes to show that stocks, which are a major driving force of the economy will be affected, additionally affecting globalization. Just like the US stocks, the technology industry will also be affected.

Numerous corporate executives have spoken about the effect the ban will have on the fate of their multinational enterprises. CEO’s to large technology corporations are taking a firm stand against Trump’s immigration ban. Among those, is Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. The CEO sent out a statement to all Amazon employees condemning the ban. Bezos informed his employees that Amazon will have their back (Ruben). Other top executives releasing public statements against the ban include, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (Thibodeau). As the executives mentioned, a good portion of their employees come from foreign nations, bringing their ideas to the US with them. Trumps treatment of immigrants also goes against these companies’ values and policies. Banning immigrants from the six nations, would be of a disservice to the country.

Foreigners make a portion of US corporations’ employees. These employees include all positions held at the company, whether it is entry level or all the way up to the top. Every single one of those employees are contributing immensely to the US economy, each in their own individual way. International students come to this country in pursuit of a great education, that way they can contribute their ideas to United States businesses. Some of these employees are the driving forces behind innovation.

By barring entry from citizens of those six countries, the United States will unintentionally curb innovation. American corporations will suffer because blocking certain individuals can prevent the intake of bright minds that continue to put US corporations in the lead. Globalization includes the intermingling of various ideas from all of the world. The ban will decrease those ideas from coming to the United States.

People from all over the world think about establishing a future in the US and living their American Dream. A lot of immigrants in this country have started their own businesses. If they were still in their own country, they might not have that opportunity. Their businesses and ideas have contributed to the success of the US economy. Barring those individuals is a contradiction to American values.

Trump’s immigration ban should be reviewed before the situation gets worse. The US economy, corporations, and innovation are at stake with this proposition. Only time will tell how soon this ban will affect the nation and its future.

Ruben, Ben Fox. “Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Promises to Fight Trump’s Immigration Ban.

US Travel Restrictions Costs $700 Billion Loss to World Economy

Ever since March 2020, the US government has banned international travel to contain the spread of coronavirus. The unprecedented loss in the travel and tourism sector negatively impacted other sectors closely linked to it such as food, beverages, retail trade, communications, and transport, contributing to drastic business loss and decline in employment rates.

The tourism industry faced a major blow by the pandemic due to the ban on airline firms, hospitality firms, travel firms, and other small-scale businesses dependent on international tourists. According to a United Nations report, the crash in international tourism could cost around USD4 trillion to the global GDP for the years 2020 and 2021. International travel bans and limited travel activity induced by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in economic and human tolls. Every two out of five jobs lost in the US due to the pandemic were lost in the travel, tourism, and aircraft manufacturing sectors. The current estimates suggest that the employment rate in the tourism sector is not expected to return to the pre-COVID level before 2024 or 2025.

The world’s leading hotel chains including Wyndham Worldwide, Choice Hotels, Marriott International, and Hilton Worldwide Holdings lost USD14 billion in revenue due to the travel restrictions. The US welcomed around 80 million international visitors in 2019 and the number could have been bigger in 2021 if the travel restrictions were not in place for visitors from the European Union, UK, China, and India.

Europe’s Economy Downturned Due to US Travel Ban
The unprecedented phenomenon of non-arrivals from the US is hitting the European tourism industry badly. Europe is the world’s leading tourist destination where one in ten businesses belong to the tourism industry. The hospitality sector accounts for 80% of the EU tourism workforce and 2 million enterprises. According to the European Commission, the US is Europe’s main long-haul inbound market in terms of the number of tourist arrivals and spending. North America is the most important origin market for EU countries, contributing to around USD70 billion to the EU countries annually.

Of 89 million foreign tourists in France each year, Americans represent around 8% while 6 million of 37 million foreign tourists in Germany are Americans. In Spain, the tourism sector constitutes around 12% of the country’s GDP. In the three months from May to June in 2021, the forbidden tourism led to USD9.79 billion losses to Switzerland where US visitors contributed the biggest uptick. The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) is finding a solution for welcoming back non-essential travelers from the US to prevent the loss of billions again in 2021.

The US pandemic restrictions continue to hinder business travel to the European Union countries, especially Germany. Germany is one of the biggest providers of Foreign Direct Investment in the US. However, the US administration’s decision to reinstate and stringent the pandemic travel restrictions has frustrated Germany’s business leaders. From experts being unable to travel to assist with technical issues to new businesses being lost due to the difficulties of meeting potential clients, the travel restrictions are hindering the businesses in various ways. While remote working solutions have been able to ease the difficulties, routine business visits are very much required to personally oversee US investments and kickstart economies.

Hospitality Industry Faces the Worst Hit
The hotel industry is one of the hardest-hit sectors from the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is not expected to make a full recovery until 2024. Many of the USA hotels are closed, especially the luxury ones due to low traffic while others have an occupancy rate as low as 15%. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s State of the Hotel Industry 2021 report, more than 600,000 hotel industry operation jobs and nearly 4 million hospitality jobs have been lost due to the pandemic. While business travel has drastically declined, the hotel occupancy rate in 2021 is expected to be down 85% compared to 2019. Post-pandemic, economy hotels are expected to have the fastest return as they would be able to tap segments of demand that remain relatively healthy despite travel restrictions. As international tourists tend to stay longer in hotels and spend more money on the offered services than domestic visitors, the international travel ban is putting severe impact on the hospitality businesses that cater to various international tourists.

Aviation Sector Hoping for Upliftment of International Travel Bans
Aviation is the most important international industry, which has been negatively impacted by the repeated travel bans and lockdown restrictions, suffering billions of dollars in losses. While reductions in passenger traffic have occurred due to past incidents such as 9/11. SARS, etc., the prolonged shut down of air traffic has devastated the airline industry, bringing airports to a virtual halt. Even though countries have moved away from lockdowns, many countries have opted for partial or total restrictive regulations throughout the first half of 2021. Major airlines are pressing the Biden government to relax its COVID-19 restrictions that block travelers from making entry into the US as other countries have started to ease down their prohibitions. Since March 2020, the US has barred nearly all non-US citizens from countries like United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, India, and Iran.

The United Kingdom is America’s seventh-largest trading partner, but the blocked air services between the two nations have been eliminated since March 2020. The heads of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, along with the CEO of London Heathrow Airport are pleading American President Joe Biden to act swiftly for removing the ban to save the lucrative summer air travel season between the two countries. Not only the airline industry, but the hotels and other travel and tourism interests are also at stake.

MICE Sector at Huge Loss
MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) is a general term used for the event industry, which positively impacts the economy of a whole city, country, or region. Major international congresses increase footfall in hotels and amplify consumption of local services. Through the last decades, the MICE industry has boosted the economy of many destinations until the COVID-19 outbreak, which puts a halt on events and business travels. While 53% of tourists travel for pleasure or holidays, 14% travel for professional reasons but bring important economic benefits to the region.

In the US, the MICE industry generates around one million jobs in big cities as well as small towns and makes up for 15% of all travel throughout the country. However, Barcelona and Madrid remain the most preferred destinations regarding business tourism. Since only a few countries are re-opening the MICE sector, most countries are focusing on domestic conferences and exhibitions. For instance, the city of Tokyo is expected to welcome 25 million foreign visitors for the large-scale Olympics event, for which an aggressive tourism development strategy was put in place in the city. However, a ban on spectators could reduce the economic gains from the Tokyo Olympics amid the COVID-19 resurgence.

How Can Vaccines Impact Future Travel Plans?
As of July 2021, more than 49.6% of the US population and 13.7% of the world population has been administered at least a single vaccine dosage. While interest in taking vaccines might vary from person to person, the desire to travel does not. According to a recent survey by Hilton, around 95% of Americans miss traveling. However, the choice of whether to vaccinate or not might affect future travel plans.

While no country has made vaccine a mandatory requirement, but countries with tight border restrictions and low COVID-19 rates such as New Zealand might require travelers to be vaccinated before visiting. Singapore has also hinted that the unvaccinated travelers might have to undergo quarantine and additional testing. However, a blanket vaccination requirement would discriminate against those below the age of 18 years and others who are not yet provided with the vaccines. Moreover, many major airlines are awaiting governmental guidance to make vaccination a requirement before international travel. While some believe that putting a vaccine mandate could bring flyers back more quickly, others call the notion a “real logistical nightmare”, given the slow vaccine rollout rates.

The hotel sector might consider requiring guests to be vaccinated once the international travel bans are uplifted. Any major hotel brand taking this stance could attract the “Covid-safe” and affluent market. Moreover, hotel conferences might require entrants to be inoculated as a large number of people would share indoor space and meals. However, there have been no directions from the government for making such a mandate yet.

Conclusion

Worst-Case Scenarios – How Travel Insurance Can Help During Extreme Situations

The 21st century is a dream come true for travels. Gone are the days when only the very rich could afford to travel, and only if they had weeks or months to spare for the planning. In this day and age, no matter what corner of the globe you wish to explore or what you dream of doing once you arrive there, all you need is to pick up the phone or open your laptop and you’re on your way.

Advancements in transport technology, real-time communications, cooperation among airlines and travel-related service providers, and the advent of insurance policies for travel, whether multiple or single trip travel insurance, have ensured cheaper, safer, faster, and more comfortable travel in near-miraculous ways. It protects you from financial loss in the event of cancellations or property. More importantly, it gives you protection and a wider set of options in the event of real crises – such as natural disasters or medical emergencies. Listed below are some examples of extreme situations and worst-case scenarios and wherein a good policy can help.

Illnesses

Sudden illness is always worrying, more so if you are in a foreign country. Ideally, you would have done your research and gotten the necessary and recommended vaccinations – not to mention followed basic common sense such as drinking bottled water and wearing appropriate clothing for the climate. However, exposure to unfamiliar pathogens or unpredictable medical conditions such as appendicitis is always a possibility. Most health insurance policies only provide coverage in the country

where they are purchased, and one of the worst things that can happen during a sudden illness is to find that you do not have medical coverage; especially in less-developed countries, some hospitals will not treat people without health and medical cover. In the case of sudden illness, that single trip travel insurance policy you purchased can not only help you get immediate medical treatment, but cover the medical fees incurred during your stay in the hospital. Depending on your policy, it can also cover losses in the event that the illness requires you to cut your trip short.

Accidents

Getting into legal entanglements in a foreign country can be a nightmare, so be sure to be very vigilant in following local laws, especially when driving or in public spaces. As with a sudden illness, a good policy is crucial in the event of an accident with regards to getting emergency medical treatment and covering the incurred medical fees. But more importantly, depending on your policy, it can help protect against liability in the event of injury or property damage.

Attacks

With the advent of real-time news reporting and communications, getting caught in the middle of a terrorist attack is improbable if you have done your research. More than likely, a terrorist attack can affect your plans in that your home or destination country will issue travel bans or warnings, effectively cancelling your trip. A simple single trip travel insurance policy can protect you against financial loss in such an event. In the extremely unlikely event that you care caught up in an actual terrorist attack, an evacuation and repatriation clause or acts of terrorism clause in your single trip travel insurance will be imperative in getting you home safely as soon as possible – so if in doubt, do check the fine print.

An Introduction To Country Evacuation Management

Let us define the word “evacuate” first. According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, New 8th Edition (2010), it is to move out people from a place of danger to a safer place. Country evacuation refers to an evacuation of either all personnel (staff and dependents) or the dependents only from a foreign country, where an organization conducts a business, to a safe haven.

Evacuation can be either to a neighboring country or back to the homeland. Evacuation cannot be avoided when security of staff and dependents are in danger.

The day-to-day security situation in a country is described by the term, called “alert phase”. It indicates different scenario with regards to security situation at any one time in the country. Internationally, colors are used to differentiate the different types of alert phase in place.

Different organizations may use different colors to denote the security situation in a country. Typical colors used are green; yellow; orange; and red. Their characteristics are described below:

Green: situation in the country is normal and “business as usual”,

Yellow: expecting an emergency or crisis,

Orange: emergency or crisis is likely to happen, prepare to evacuate,

Red: in an emergency or crisis condition, evacuate all personnel.

The country head, such as the highest ranking officer in the organization is responsible in maintaining close liaison with the homeland’s Embassy or High Commission on a regular basis so as to ascertain the type of current alert phase.

It is important for us to know, for purpose of general knowledge, what are the usual activities being conducted in each of the alert phase.

GREEN ALERT PHASE

All staff and dependents should register with homeland’s Embassy or High Commission; identify the safe haven and practical routes (by land, sea, river or air); conduct evacuation awareness program; appoint evacuation management team; keep and review stocks of food for at least seven days; establish contacts with reputable air charter companies; prepare and update list of relevant emergency contact numbers; and prepare an evacuation plan. More activities can be added if required.

YELLOW ALERT PHASE

All movements of staff and dependents should be restricted; inform headquarters on situation and impose travel ban; prepare what we call “go-ahead” baggage; ensure availability of transport to safe haven; inform homeland’s Embassy or High Commission; finalize evacuation plan and prepare to implement it if situation is unsafe for staff and dependents.

ORANGE ALERT PHASE

Evacuate non-essential staff and dependents; collect important and classified documents; conduct business at minimum level; highly restrict staff movement; head of evacuation team to decide on operational matters; and communicate with headquarters.

If security situation deteriorates, the country head can decide whether to embark on an evacuation exercise. Evacuation of non-essential staff and dependents can be undertaken via commercial or chartered aircraft.

RED ALERT PHASE

Destroy all documents that cannot be hand carried; delegate authorities to local staff, if feasible; maintain communication with headquarters for latest development; and evacuate the remaining staff by land, sea, river or air.

During evacuation, give priority to children followed by women and elderly staff.

In the event of sudden evacuation, mode of transportation may be carried out via military aircraft, including helicopters. Minimum supplies for evacuation should include the following items: traveling documents and cash; bottled mineral water; canned food and can opener; toilet and feminine hygiene articles; insect repellent; matches; torchlight and extra batteries; first-aid kit; maps; blankets; small transistor radio and batteries.

Evacuation by land, sea, river and air should be tested by security personnel during the green alert phase. This is to gauge the estimated time taken to move out from the troubled area to the safe haven.

SIGNAL SIGNS FOR EVACUATION

Normally, there are some escalating events that can give ample signals for the country head to order for an evacuation. These events may include, but not limited to the following scenarios:

Evacuation of foreign Embassies’ or High Commissions’ personnel from the host country; closure of foreign Embassies or High Commissions or international schools; sudden cancellation of international flights; increase bomb threats; natural disasters; outbreak of war in the country or neighboring countries; and political strife.

Besides security reasons, evacuation can also take place under the following scenarios: body evacuation (bodevac) and/or medical evacuation (Medivac).

CONCLUSION

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