“Last year visitation to Aspen by Mexicans dropped 30 percent compared with the 2015-16 ski season. Bookings for 2017-18 aren’t looking much better. There are multiple reasons, but the xenophobia radiating from the Oval Office ranks at the top.” -Mike Kaplan
Aspen Ski Co. president and CEO, Mike Kaplan, took another outspoken stance against President Donald Trump in a recent op-ed piece for The Wall Street Journal, arguing that his policies are not only xenophobic but bad for business. In his statement he asks President Trump to support U.S. businesses that rely on international tourism by sending more welcoming messages to the world.
“While his defenders will argue Mr. Trump has only been singling out illegal aliens, the affluent Mexicans who would normally visit Aspen seem to disagree. If President Trump is as concerned with the U.S. trade deficit as he says, he should recognize that tourism to the U.S. is a type of export to other countries. Foreign visitors come here and spend their money. The U.S. destinations they visit cannot be ‘off-shored’ or moved to Mexico.”
Vail Daily reached Kaplan Thursday via email who said he submitted the op-ed because the ski season is near and “The uncertainty around immigration and foreign travel continues to linger. We thought appealing to Trump on business grounds might resonate with him and the administration.”