An Australian woman has sparked debate on social media after expressing doubts about her upcoming trip to the United States, citing troubling reports of tourist mistreatment.
Remi Meli shared her concerns on tiktok where she revealed she might cancel her December holiday to New York City after learning about incidents involving foreign travelers being detained.
Her remarks came in the wake of reports involving two German teenagers, Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, who were reportedly subjected to invasive searches at Honolulu Airport.
According to a German news outlet the teens underwent full body scans and strip searches, were held overnight in a detention cell, and then deported to Germany.
The reason? Authorities flagged their incomplete accommodation plans as suspicious.
Meli’s TikTok video, captioned ‘manifesting NYC Christmas magic, not an interrogation room,’ quickly gained traction.
Many Australian users echoed her concerns, with several stating they had already scrapped their own U.S. 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 referenced harsh deportation policies, including those involving transfers to maximum-security facilities abroad.
One person questioned: “Is it truly worth the risk of an El Salvador situation?”
However, not all reactions were negative. Several users downplayed the concerns, emphasizing that they had visited the U.S. recently without issues.
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 the response 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.”
Tourism data supports the unease.
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 tourist numbers fell by 28%, and UK travelers by 14%.
Jared Mondschein of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney noted that the trend could have economic implications.
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.
