So is American gun violence bad enough to repel foreign tourists?

[milestogo]

[EX500rider]

1. Well pre-covid we avg 165 million tourists a year so I'd say no.

How many of those 165 million were killed?
They can probably do math and realize that the drive from the airport will be more dangerous.

[brooklynite]

2. Nope...

The chances of being caught in a shooting is infinitesimally small.

Come to Times Square any evening.

[hardluck]

3. Doubtful

Even with the increase over the last few years, murders are still significantly lower than the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Need some perspective here.

[Marius25]

4. Yes. I've heard from Canadians they don't want to visit here anymore.

Amnesty International has put out an international warning telling foreigners of the high risk of gun violence in America.

There were 2 more mass shootings in the last 12 hours. 14 shot, 3 killed in a tourist spot in Philly. And 17 shot, 3 killed in Tennessee.

[Recursion]

5. Anecdotally, French people mention it to me

I get a lot of "I've always wanted to see New York City but I'm afraid to get shot". I usually do a quick public affairs cleanup (NYC is as safe as Paris, the 1990s were a long time ago, the mass shootings usually happen in suburbs no tourist goes within a thousand miles of, etc.) but it's definitely out there as a concern. Along with getting sick and owing millions of dollars (fortunately there's travel insurance).

One thing Europeans at least seem not to get is how immense the US is geographically. One Italian kind of casually said "I'll be in Atlanta but I thought I might drive over to Miami or New Orleans for a day" and I'm like... no. You're not going to do that.

[milestogo]

7. I recently had to explain to a European colleague

That you could drive for hours and hours and still be in Texas.

[milestogo]

6. Money is the only thing Republicans care about.

Buy I guess this wouldn't matter to them.