Foreign tourism expected to remain down across US

The United States could see less foreign travelers well beyond summer break, according to predictions from the World Travel & Tourism Council. 

What they're saying:

The finding was "a clear indicator that the global appeal of the U.S. is slipping," the global industry association said.

Who isn’t traveling to the US? 

Dig deeper:

Tourism Economics, a travel research firm, predicted the U.S. would see 8.2% fewer international travelers this year, which is an improvement from its earlier forecast of 9.4%, but it’s still well below the numbers the country saw before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"The sentiment drag has proven to be severe," the firm said, noting that airline bookings indicate "the sharp inbound travel slowdown" of May, June and July would likely persist in the months ahead.

Some of the factors hindering the travel industry include rising travel costs, political uncertainty and ongoing geopolitical tensions. 

By the numbers:

U.S. government data confirms an overall drop-off in international arrivals during the first seven months of the year. 

The number of overseas visitors, a category that doesn't include travelers from Mexico or Canada, declined by more than 3 million, or 1.6%, compared to the same period a year earlier, according to preliminary figures from the National Travel and Tourism Office.

As a tourist generator, Western Europe was down 2.3%, with visitors from Denmark dropping by 19%, from Germany by 10%, and from France by 6.6%. A similar pattern surfaced in Asia, where the U.S. data showed double-digit decreases in arrivals from Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines. Fewer residents of countries throughout Africa also had traveled to the U.S. as of July.

However, visitors from some countries, among them Argentina, Brazil, Italy and Japan, have arrived in greater numbers.

Local perspective:

The nation’s capital, where the Trump administration in recent weeks deployed National Guard members and took over management of Union Station, has also noticed an impact.

Local tourism officials have projected a 5.1% dip in international visitors for the year. Marketing organization Destination DC said last week it planned to "counter negative rhetoric" about the city with a campaign that would feature residents and highlight the "more personal side" of Washington.

The other side:

Executives from the major U.S. airlines said last month that American passengers booking premium airfares helped fill their international flights and that demand for domestic flights was picking up after a weaker than expected showing in the first half of 2025.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was gearing up for what is expected to be the busiest Labor Day weekend in 15 years. Bookings for U.S. airlines were up about 2% compared to 2024 for the long holiday weekend that started Thursday, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.