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last mo.

U.S. Sees Roughly 4 Million Fewer Foreign Visitors in 2025 and Billions in Lost Spending

Policy confusion, sharp political rhetoric and flight disruptions have eroded visitor confidence and pushed recovery into a multi-year outlook.

Ray Caesar enjoys plum blossom trees in Shinjuku Park on a February 2026 trip to Tokyo. A Toronto resident, Caesar finds the threats toward Canada "profoundly disrespectful."
Jane Nagai stops at one of the side entrances to Senso-ji temple in Tokyo, Japan. She and her husband, Ray Caesar, visited in February 2026 in lieu of a trip to New York.
People spend time in New York's Central Park in September 2025. The decline in international tourism to the United States is due in large part to Canadians staying away.
Canadian John Stewart attended the Indy 500 every year for about three decades. He decided not to go this year after reaching an "ideological breakpoint."

Overview

  • The full 2025 travel data, released and widely reported by May 25, 2026, show about 4 million fewer international visitors to the United States and a drop in foreign visitor spending of more than $8 billion.
  • Experts point to government-driven perception effects — including public discussion of a visa integrity fee, proposals to collect visitor social-media history, and the defunding of Brand USA — as major contributors to traveler hesitancy.
  • A disproportionate share of the decline came from Canada, with cell-phone mobility analysis and border data showing steep year-over-year falls in crossings to U.S. cities.
  • The tourism downturn has had concrete effects on businesses, from lower theme-park attendance and weaker hotel occupancy to layoffs at small tour operators and reduced local spending in destination economies.
  • Official forecasts from agencies and industry groups project a multi-year recovery with pre-pandemic arrival levels not expected until around 2029, and industry leaders say restoring clear federal policy and marketing funding will be key to speeding a rebound.