Not every international traveler who considers the U.S. ends up making the trip these days. CNN reported that four million fewer foreign visitors came in 2025 than the year before, and total spending fell by more than $8 billion. Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, says one fear in particular is keeping many of them away. Several other things are weighing on those trips too.
Where the Numbers Stand
International tourism fell 5.5% in 2025, the steepest single-year slide in two decades outside the 2020 pandemic. The high mark came in 2018, when 79.7 million visitors arrived, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. The U.S. now draws about 70 million a year, nearly 10 million fewer. Meanwhile, the World Travel and Tourism Council counted 80 million more people traveling internationally in 2025, and they went elsewhere.
What Freeman Says Visitors Fear
Fear of being detained is keeping many international visitors away, Freeman says. PBS News reported that border agents arrested a German man on a tourist visa in 2025 and held him for 16 days. A German woman also spent six weeks in detention. Both returned to Germany. The Guardian reported that a French scientist was denied entry after officers saw negative texts about President Trump on his phone.
Europe Pulls Back
Europe is feeling the drop too. National Travel and Tourism Office data shows French visits fell nearly 7% in 2025 to 1.6 million, while German visits dropped more than 11% to roughly 1.7 million. Freeman told Axios that so far in 2026, German visits were down 16% and French visits 15%, and he fears misinformation is keeping many travelers from coming.
Canada Stays Home
The vast majority of the 2025 decline traces back to Canadians staying home, while Mexico sent 1 million more visitors. CBS News put Canadian spending in the U.S. at $13.3 billion in 2025, nearly $2 billion less than in 2024. Cuebiq’s analysis of cell phone activity found Canadian visits to U.S. metro areas down as much as 42% in the year to May, well above the official 25% drop in estimated border crossings.
A Three-Decade Habit on Pause
Every spring for about 35 years, a Canadian made the trip to Indianapolis for the Indy 500, and a weeklong stay with American relatives could easily cost him $10,000. John Stewart of Golden Lake, Ontario, skipped it in 2026 after reaching an “ideological breakpoint.” Tariffs and talk of Canada becoming a 51st state bothered him, but the war in Iran tipped it. For now, he was pausing all personal trips to the U.S.
A Santa Monica Tour Business
“Canadian spring break” never happened in 2025, according to Adam Duford, who runs Surf City Tours in Santa Monica. His revenue landed at less than half of earlier years. He also battled misperceptions, saying some people believed protests over ICE had spread across Los Angeles when they were mainly downtown. In October 2025, he let go of all seven employees, and he needed about two guests a day to break even.
Florida Takes the Brunt
Florida took the brunt of the loss in international visitors, according to Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics. Across its domestic theme parks, Disney said attendance fell 1% from a year earlier in the quarter ended March 28, partly because international visitation stayed soft. Domestic hotel occupancy came in at 89% against 92% a year earlier, though the company noted the same pressures hit the year-ago quarter, which made it an easier comparison.
Marketing Funds Shrink
Brand USA, the public-private group that markets U.S. tourism abroad, saw its $100 million in federal funding cut by 80% in 2025, leaving $20 million. It also shut down GoUSA TV. Funding after 2027 is uncertain, and Freeman is lobbying Washington to restore it. By May, Brand USA had launched a campaign to build traveler confidence, clarifying that a proposed $250 visa integrity fee was not yet being collected.
What Recovery Looks Like
The National Travel and Tourism Office projects international arrivals will not top pre-pandemic levels until 2029. In May, Sacks said overseas visits, which exclude Canada and Mexico, were down another 4.3% through April. He expected the World Cup to bring about 10 Super Bowls’ worth of visitors, not the 100 FIFA anticipated. One of Freeman’s top priorities is getting Washington to help send a message: the U.S. is open for business.
