More than 90% of Southeast Asian tourists say the prevalence of guns in the United States affects whether they travel to the United States, according to a new survey.
The study surveyed 6,000 international travelers from six countries, including New York, California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Washington, D.C.
However, 56% of respondents were delegated CNBC Travel The survey, conducted by market research firm Milieu Insight, said they are likely to visit the United States within the next few years.
That number rose to 59% among respondents who had visited the U.S. at least once before, although 74% of this group said they believed gun violence was a bigger problem in the U.S. today than in the past. question.
“This shows that first-hand experience, while raising awareness of an issue, does not necessarily prevent future visits,” said Anatarika Sen, associate research director at Milieu Insight.
However, nearly 80% said their likelihood of attending a large gathering, such as a concert or music festival, would be greatly or moderately affected by the number of guns in the United States.
The investigation, which was conducted in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand from September 9 to 18, follows the first assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in July. On September 15, he suffered a second assassination.
Country differences
Southeast Asians, who express the highest concern about gun violence in the United States, also express the highest interest in visiting the country.
Respondents from Vietnam (79%), Indonesia (76%) and the Philippines (76%) said their travel was greatly or moderately affected by the prevalence of guns in the United States. Indonesians and 69% of Filipinos said they were likely to travel to the Philippines in the next few years.
However, only 24% of Singaporeans said they were likely to set foot in the United States soon.
Overall, two-thirds of respondents said they disagreed with gun ownership in the United States. However, this figure rises to 91% in Singapore.
Singaporeans – who have become accustomed to the city-state’s low crime rates – are also least likely to think gun violence is less of a problem in the United States than in the past (3%).
Half of those surveyed said they had been to the United States. But previous visits have failed to quell Singaporeans’ concerns about gun violence as they have in other countries. Some 25% of respondents said previous visits had helped ease their concerns, but only 4% of respondents in Singapore said they were “more likely to visit again because I am less worried about gun violence” .
US election results
More than a quarter of respondents said the outcome of the U.S. presidential election would affect their willingness to visit the country, while 49% said it might.
About 23% said they would be less likely to visit if Donald Trump won; 9% said the same if Kamala Harris was elected.
Another 5% said they would deny access outright if Trump wins, and 2% said the same if Harris wins.
CNBC Travel reached out to both campaigns for comment but has yet to hear back from either candidate.
More than two-thirds of those surveyed said they had heard of “immigrant crime” – a term coined by Trump and hailed as part of his anti-immigration stance. However, data from major city police departments show No evidence immigrants are committing a crime wave at home.
However, about 27% of Southeast Asians said it was a “significant issue that seriously affects my decision to visit the United States.”
Fear of violence and abuse
Southeast Asians also express serious concerns about victims of physical violence in the United States because of their race.
Nearly three-quarters of travelers said they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned about racial violence, with Filipinos reporting the highest level of concern (81%). Only 4% of Southeast Asians in the survey were not concerned at all about physical violence in the country.
Respondents expressed similar levels of concern about being subjected to race-related abuse.
Many Southeast Asians say the threat of physical and verbal abuse has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic, with two-thirds believing it is a “bigger problem” or “more serious than before”.
Overall, only 11% said they thought these problems had decreased since the pandemic.
Southeast Asians say social media (61%) is their primary source of information about U.S. security and crime, followed by international news (55%).
“Countries with higher reliance on these sources tend to show greater concern. The Philippines, with 66% of people relying on social media, shows the highest concern about ethnic violence,” said Senator Milieu Insight.
