The United States experienced a dramatic decline in international visitors last year, with over four million fewer foreign tourists arriving compared to 2024. This marks the largest drop since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an analysis of data from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO).
Visitor Numbers and Spending Fall
In 2024, the US welcomed more than 72 million international visitors. That figure fell to just over 68 million in 2025, a decrease of 4,009,072 arrivals. The NTTO had originally forecast a rise to 77 million visitors, meaning the actual numbers fell well short of expectations.
Total spending by international visitors also declined sharply. Adjusted for inflation and exchange rates, spending dropped by $8.4 billion (£5.95 billion) compared to the previous year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
The US has still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, when it attracted over 79 million visitors annually. Until 2025, there had been a steady post-Covid recovery in arrivals.
Reasons and Reactions
Simon Calder, travel correspondent for The Independent, commented: “US tourism is substantially protected with the benefit of a huge and wealthy domestic market. But as the 2026 World Cup approaches, with what I predict will be a slump in early summer tourism, there could be some serious price-cutting to get people on transatlantic planes and into hotel rooms and rental cars.”
Despite the decline, the WTTC noted that the US remains the world’s largest travel and tourism market, though it is gradually losing market share. North America was the slowest-growing region globally in terms of travel and tourism GDP, rising just 1%, with the US growing only 0.9%.
Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of WTTC, urged the US to “invest in promoting its attractiveness, both in international markets and during the summer of football; change perception and position the US as a welcoming destination; and grow international visitor spend, encouraging stopovers and new experiences.”
Global Travel Trends
The WTTC reported that globally, 80 million more people travelled internationally in 2025, indicating that the overall travel market is not slowing down. The US decline is therefore an outlier.
Country-by-Country Breakdown
The largest drop in arrivals came from Canada, with 4.2 million fewer Canadian visitors in 2025 compared to 2024. Significant declines were also recorded from Germany (over 224,000 fewer), India (over 129,000 fewer), and France (over 116,000 fewer).
However, not all countries saw a decrease. Visitors from the United Kingdom increased by 21,000, totalling over four million. Meanwhile, arrivals from Mexico rose by one million, reaching almost 18 million in 2025.
