With the zamindar of Mar-a-Lago rolling out new club rules in the form of travel bans into the US for 12 countries and restrictions on 7 others, many have been horrified – as if they’d like anyone and everyone to enter their tony neighbourhoods. But let’s flip the long-distance outrage for a minute – this is actually fab news for the 19 countries. Nothing elevates a destination’s appeal quite like exclusivity. Adventurous world travellers will now have the Arch of Marcus Aurelius in Libya, Bagh-e Babur in Afghanistan, and Saut-Mathurine in Haiti on their ‘must-go’ list. A bunch of Insta pics from Unesco World Heritage site Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, Iran, captioned, ‘Banned and beautiful’, has just entered many a bucket list.
Then there’s the economic perk. Other countries will activate their ‘US Plus One’ plan to connect with, say, ‘authentic’ Burmese Khow Suey that America will now slowly but surely be depleted of. Nothing binds people like a shared grievance. A club of nations blacklisted by the US is essentially the world’s newest exclusive fraternity – bonding over the new branding of ‘Visa-refused by Trumpland!’ So, pack your bags and plan your next holiday to Zakouma National Park in Chad, or Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall, in Venezuela. Disneyland, Napa Valley and Empire State Building are so American, so passe.
