Ancil
People are canceling trips to the US after tourists are being subjected to terrifying acts at airports.
Expressing uncertainty about her forthcoming trip to the United States, an Australian woman has generated discussion on social media by referencing disturbing allegations of tourist abuse.
Remi Meli expressed her worries on TikTok, where she said she could postpone her December holiday to New York City after learning about events involving arrested international visitors.
Her comments followed stories of two German teenagers, Maria Lepere, 18, and Charlotte Pohl, 19, allegedly subjected to intrusive searches at Honolulu Airport.
A German news source said the teenagers were held overnight in a holding cell, had full-body scans and strip searches, and then deported to Germany.
The justification is Authorities found their incomplete accommodation plans suspicious.
Meli’s TikTok video, captioned ‘manifesting NYC Christmas magic, not an interrogation room,’ quickly gained traction.
Many Australian users shared her worries; some said they had already canceled their own American travel plans.
One commenter said: “Was meant to be going to NYC in December too, we have cancelled. Safety is a concern, but also the dollar is declining, it will be crazy expensive.”
Another remarked bluntly: “Not going to lie, you couldn’t pay me to travel to the US anytime soon.”
Some users even cited strict deportation rules, including those necessitating trips to maximum-security prisons overseas.
One person questioned: “Is it truly worth the risk of an El Salvador situation?”
Not all reactions, nevertheless, were unfavorable. Many people discounted the worries, stressing that they had lately visited the United States without any problems.
“Nope, I’m still going. You gotta stop listening to social media,” wrote one user.
Another added: “I’m an Australian and I just travelled to NY and LA a few weeks ago and was fine.”
Meli told Daily Mail Australia that her reaction to her video—especially from women—surprised her.
“I made the video just sharing some genuine concerns I had about traveling to New York as an Aussie,” she said. “I never expected it to gain so much attention… My intention was never to spread fear or misinformation – just to be honest about something that’s been on my mind.”
Travel statistics corroborates the discomfort.
Between March 2024 and March 2025, Australian visits to the U.S. dropped by 8%, marking the largest decline since the COVID-19 pandemic.
German visitors dropped 28%; UK visitors dropped 14%.
The tendency may have financial ramifications, according to Jared Mondschein of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.
He explained: “The impact of a decline in both tourists and students is economically challenging for the United States.”
The Australian Government’s SmartTraveller site urges caution, reminding citizens that ‘US authorities have broad powers to decide if you’re eligible to enter’ and may find travelers inadmissible for a wide range of reasons.
