Only a year ago, it was an absolute no-brainer. Do you want to travel to the USA? Of course.

The United States is one of the greatest destinations on the planet, a place of culture and history, of amazing diversity of landscapes and even people, a place where you always feel welcome, and constantly feel amazed. At least, it was. Because in November 2016, the world changed the way it looks at the United States of America.

The country still had all of those great attributes, but it also had a new president: Donald Trump. Here was a leader who talked of building walls on borders; of halting immigration; of banning visitors from certain countries.

For some travellers, it was too much. There's been talk of boycotts, of never visiting while Trump holds power. Interest among travellers in visiting the States has dipped. But are we overreacting? Can travellers still go about their business and enjoy the US in the same way they always have?

I chat to journalist Shelley Hepworth who lived in New York during Trump's presidential campaign, as well as travel writer Ute Junker, on what it's like to travel the US before and after Trump became president, how much has change, and which cities and states are worth travelling to.

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To subscribe to the Traveller.com.au podcast Flight of Fancy on iTunes, click here.