International travel to the US slowed in 2025. Here's why
International travel to the United States fell 5.5% in 2025 from the previous year, with declines in Canada, Western Europe, Asia and Australia.
International travel to the United States fell 5.5% in 2025 from the previous year, with declines in Canada, Western Europe, Asia and Australia.
International travel to the United States fell 5.5% in 2025 from the previous year, with declines in Canada, Western Europe, Asia and Australia.
The United States is still the largest travel and tourism market in the world, but a recent report by the World Travel and Tourism Council said the country is "losing ground" to other regions.
The number of international travelers to the U.S. fell 5.5% in 2025 from the previous year, according to the WTTC report. This resulted in a 4.6% drop in international visitor spending totaling $176 billion.
An analysis of monthly international visitor arrivals data from the International Trade Administration shows the number of tourists coming to the U.S. fell during the peak summer months of 2025 compared to the previous year. Arrivals totaled 5.28 million in June, down 6.2% from a year earlier; 6.25 million in July, down 9.2%; and 6.85 million in August, down 8.7%.
Nearly three-quarters, or 164 countries on the list, saw the number of travelers to the U.S. fall from the previous year. That included countries in Western Europe such as Germany, France and the Netherlands, as well as countries in Asia and Oceania such as India, South Korea, China and Australia.
Explore the globe below to see how many travelers arrived from each country in 2025
The largest share of international travelers to the United States in 2025 came from Mexico and Canada, according to trade data. Together, the two countries accounted for nearly half of all international travelers, with Mexico making up 26% and Canada 23% of the total.
Travelers from Canada dropped
The largest drop in the number of travelers in 2025 came from Canada.
The annual number of international visitors from Canada fell 21% in 2025 to 16 million travelers from 20.2 million in 2024, according to trade data.
The agency said this was the first annual decline in Canadian-resident trips to the U.S. since 2016. It added that the year-over-year drop came amid political tensions between Canada and the United States.
“Political tensions between Canada and the United States continue to affect the travel plans of Canadians as discretionary automobile trips to the United States remain down by more than one-third,” Statistique Canada said.
Travel bans and visa restrictions
The Trump administration also introduced visa changes and travel bans that have affected travel to the United States.
In June 2025, President Donald Trump ordered a full ban on travelers from 12 countries, preventing people from those countries from applying for immigrant visas or nonimmigrant visas for tourism, work or study. The policy was later expanded to cover 39 countries, as well as people traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents.
The State Department also introduced a $250 visa integrity fee under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which took effect on Oct. 1, 2025. This brings the total cost of a U.S. tourist visa to $435, making it one of the most expensive tourist visas in the world. The fee applies to all visitors who need nonimmigrant visas, including tourists, business travelers and international students.
The State Department has also required enhanced social media screening and vetting for visa applicants to identify people who may be inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to national security or public safety. Applicants are instructed to set the privacy settings on all social media profiles to public.
Travel and tourism are the largest single services export for the United States. The travel industry contributed $3 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2025, according to the U.S. Travel Association. That's 2.4% of the value of goods and services produced in the U.S.
Aside from revenue, the tourism industry supports 15 million American workers and has directly employed 8 million in 2025, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
