"Policy stances from the Trump administration on everything from immigration to tariffs, along with currency swings and stricter border controls, have seemingly proved a turnoff to travelers from other countries, especially Canadians - the single largest source of foreign tourists for the United States. Canadian travel to the U.S. fell by close to 30% in 2025. But it is not just visitors from Canada who are choosing to avoid the United States."
"While the rest of the world saw a travel bump in 2025, with global international arrivals up 4%, the U.S. saw a downturn. The number of foreign tourists who came to the United States fell by 5.4% during the year - a sharper decline than the one experienced in 2017-18, the last time, outside the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, that the industry was gripped by fears of a travel slump."
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup expected to boost arrivals, U.S. inbound tourism instead declined in 2025. Global international arrivals rose 4% while U.S. foreign visitors fell 5.4%. Policy stances on immigration, tariffs, currency swings and stricter border controls deterred many potential travelers. Canadian visits dropped nearly 30%, reducing spending tied to 20.4 million visits and US$20.5 billion in 2024 that supported about 140,000 American jobs. Declines affected border states reliant on cross-border retail, restaurants, casinos and short-stay hotels. The downturn could persist through 2026, deepening economic pain for tourism-dependent regions.
Read at Fortune
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