The Decrease In International Travel To The US May Continue Way Beyond Summer (And How This Affects Americans)

The United States has always been a fascinating country to visit, thanks to its diverse landscapes and eclectic cities. But something has changed in 2025. Even though four American states saw a huge surge in tourism in 2024, the U.S. is bound to lose $12.5 billion in spending by international travelers in 2025. As per the World Travel & Tourism Council's (WTTC) Economic Impact Research conducted this year, the country will face a 22.5% decline in international visitor spending, making it the only one out of 184 world economies the WTTC analyzed to see a reduction in spending from overseas tourists — "a clear indicator that the global appeal of the U.S. is slipping," the WTTC concluded.

Some of the most popular American destinations among Europeans, like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, welcomed fewer travelers than usual this summer. According to the Associated Press, in 2025, the U.S. saw 2.3% fewer tourists from Western Europe, a 19% reduction in tourists from Denmark, a 10% decline from Germany, and a 6.6% drop from France, while visitors from Brazil, Italy, Japan, and Argentina have actually increased to the United States. Moreover, some governments, in particular the United Kingdom, have issued a warning to their citizens about traveling to America. The number of sightseers from African countries also diminished in 2025 according to the AP. Canadians have been shy about visiting the country as well — alarmingly, a drop in Canadian tourism to the U.S. has almost never happened in the last 20 years, according to Statistics Canada. As revealed by a survey undertaken by Longwoods International, 3 in 5 Canadians feel reluctant to visit the United States in the next 12 months due to its government's policies and trade practices.

One can draw a direct link between America's immigration policies and this reduction in foreign tourists and their spending. "While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the 'closed' sign," World Travel & Tourism Council CEO and president Julia Simpson told the Associated Press.

Some local authorities and many expert analysts hold President Donald Trump responsible. Since he was elected, Trump and his administration have reinforced extensive, aggressive immigration policies, from detaining and denying entry to foreign nationals at the border to increased raids from Immigration and Customs Enforcement around the country. The government made visa approvals more challenging to obtain and renewed travel restrictions aimed at African and Middle Eastern countries, leading to the impression among many international travelers that the United States is inhospitable. 

"We're generally assuming that this persists for a while and that some of it is going to persist throughout the end of the administration," declared Director at Tourism Economics Director of Industry Studies Aran Ryan in an interview with Forbes. So don't expect this reduction in foreign travelers to go away anytime soon.

The restrictions of foreign travelers to the U.S. and their spending will undoubtedly have a knock-on effect on local economies and employment, especially within the hospitality and retail sectors. Fortune estimated that restaurants and hotel chains may cut about 50,000 jobs, the leisure industry might lose 25,000 roles, with shops and service stations following suit by cutting around 19,500 jobs. The impact of the Trump administration's policies extends far beyond just job cuts, though.

American travelers have started feeling more anxious about moving abroad, fearing they will be subjects to discrimination and antagonism or even held at the airport by U.S. border officials as they return home. In fact, under the Donald Trump administration, all travelers crossing the American border, including U.S. citizens, must pass Custom and Border Protection inspections — which may seem to some American nationals as an effort to single out Trump's political opponents. Thousands of Americans have been arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement with little explanation or legal recourse, and nationals from many countries have been held at the U.S. border for questioning. In May 2025, Turkish-American influencer Hasan Piker, who is an outspoken critic of Trump and Israel, was kept hours at Chicago International Airport and asked his views on the current president and political situation. Trump's policies aren't just eroding the number of international tourists coming to the U.S. — they're making the lives of all Americans harder, too.