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New data reveals a significant decline in international tourism to the United States, with the country seeing about 4 million fewer foreign visitors in 2025 compared to the previous year. This represents a 5.5 percent drop in overseas tourism, accompanied by a decrease in spending by international travelers exceeding $8 billion.
This downturn marks the sharpest annual fall in nearly two decades, following the travel disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitor numbers have decreased across a range of countries including Germany, India, France, Australia, Chile, and China. The most pronounced decline, however, comes from Canada, traditionally one of the largest sources of tourists for the U.S.
Analysis from mobile tracking firm Cuebiq, as reported by CNN, suggests that Canadian travel to major American cities may have fallen by as much as 42 percent in the past year. This figure is notably higher than the official estimate of a 25 percent reduction in border crossings. Reports indicate that travelers are deterred by President Donald Trump’s rhetoric, stringent policies, and the ongoing political tensions related to the Iran conflict.
The U.S.-Canada relationship, once among America’s closest alliances, has deteriorated significantly during Trump’s administration. Controversial proposals such as annexing Canada as a U.S. state and threats of tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automobiles have soured bilateral ties. Canadian tourism to key destinations like Las Vegas has taken a substantial hit amid the ongoing trade disputes.
Following the imposition of tariffs last year, Canadian visits to the U.S. fell by 17 percent, contributing to an overall 7.5 percent decline in tourism revenue, according to Politico. Additionally, the conflict with Iran has driven up global energy prices, impacting Canadian consumers and fueling perceptions of the U.S. as an unreliable partner. A February Politico poll found that Canadians are more likely than Europeans to view the U.S. as a greater threat to global peace than Russia.
This downward trend in U.S. inbound tourism contrasts sharply with a global upswing in international travel. The World Travel and Tourism Council reports that approximately 80 million more people traveled internationally in 2025 compared to 2024, with many opting for destinations other than the United States.
Juliette Kayyem, faculty chair of the Homeland Security Project at the Harvard Kennedy School, summarized the situation, telling CNN, “We used to be a country that others wanted to emulate. That narrative no longer exists.” She added, “The long-term harm is that the world will not know America… the narrative of the United States is now a country that is at best, not to be respected, and at worst, a democracy that is floundering.”