International travel to the U.S. declined nearly 4 percent during the six months of 2017—a drop that prompted the head of one travel industry association called "an undeniable wake-up call."

Government figures released Monday by the National Travel and Tourism Office show the number of international visitors to the U.S. dropped 3.9 percent during the first six months of 2017 compared with the same time period in 2016.

The agency provided no reason for the decline, but many travel industry professionals have been warning of a possible "Trump slump" resulting from President Donald Trump's restrictions on travel to the U.S. and his tough talk on immigration. While the president's travel ban affects few countries, critics say his words and actions leave the impression the U.S. is unwelcoming to international visitors.

U.S. Travel Association CEO Roger Dow has warned about the possible effects of Trump's policies in the past, but in a statement Wednesday he didn't point a finger. Instead he called for lawmakers to take action to reverse the trend.

"These numbers are an undeniable wake-up call, and correcting this troubling trend needs to become a national priority," Dow said. "The travel industry will turn over every stone looking for all available policy options to better promote the U.S. as an international destination, and we stand ready to partner with the federal government to grow travel, and American jobs and exports along with it." http://bit.ly/2jySSu9

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