Every trip starts with a destination in mind, and in 2025, a lot of people decided to skip the United States. According to CNN, four million fewer international visitors arrived than in 2024. The BBC reported that tourism in the rest of the world grew 4%, based on World Tourism Barometer data. Travelers from Canada and Europe explain what changed their plans.
Canada Accounts for Most of the Drop
CNN reported Canadians made up the bulk of the decline, while visits from Germany, India and France fell too. Mexico moved the other way, sending 1 million more visitors. The BBC cited a 22% drop in Canadian visits, the steepest of any market. Border crossings fell an estimated 25%, CNN added, though Cuebiq phone data pointed to a drop of up to 42% in Canadian visits to US metropolitan areas.
Skipping the Indy 500 After About 35 Years
For about 35 years, John Stewart of Golden Lake, Ontario, made a spring trip to Indianapolis to see American relatives and the Indy 500, CNN reported, and was known to spend $10,000. This year he skipped it and paused trips to the US. He reached an “ideological breakpoint” after tariffs and talk of Canada becoming the 51st state, CNN reported, and the war in Iran put him over the edge.
Tokyo Instead of New York
According to CNN, Ray Caesar and Jane Nagai of Toronto spent tens of thousands of dollars on a February 2026 trip to Japan rather than traveling to New York. They planned to return to Japan and visit Vienna and Italy. Caesar wrote to CNN that threats toward Canada struck many Canadians as deeply disrespectful, and that the couple had largely accepted they might never return to the US.
Six Relatives Stay Home in Scandinavia
Six relatives from Scandinavia had saved for years to visit Massachusetts, but canceled after seeing how federal agents in Minneapolis dealt with immigrants and US citizens, CNN reported. Karin Williams, a dual US and Swedish citizen, went for her son’s graduation with only her husband. Williams, chair of the Democrats Abroad Skåne chapter, did not try to persuade them, saying it was sad to see the country mishandle its potential.
Fewer Trips, More Careful Choices
Johan Konst, founder of the Amsterdam-based PR firm EUSA PR, typically flew to the US three or four times a year for conferences, the BBC reported. He still planned to go, but now weighed which trips were necessary. Konst said Europe seemed to be treated more like an opponent than an ally, and that he had had an empty row to himself on several flights from Amsterdam.
General Unease Behind Canceled Summer Plans
A US trip with business meetings, Chicago sightseeing and a visit to the giant sequoias was still on Anita Shreider’s calendar this year, the BBC reported. Shreider, chief marketing officer at the rental platform Bikes Booking, lives in Germany. She said acquaintances called off summer trips because they disagreed with the country’s international actions and did not feel comfortable traveling to the US at the time.
Fees and Confusion Add to the Hesitation
Airport waits reached up to four hours, the longest in the TSA’s 24-year history, during a partial shutdown, but a March 30 directive restored TSA pay. A proposed $250 visa integrity fee had travelers hesitating, CNN noted, though Brand USA said it was not yet collected. A proposal seeking five years of social media history had not been implemented, yet the BBC said some travelers believed it had.
Tour Operators Feel the Drop
Less than half the usual revenue came in for Adam Duford’s Santa Monica, California, tour business in 2025, CNN reported, and in October he laid off all seven employees. He said a mistaken belief that ICE protests had spread through the whole city kept some people away. Joe Koenen of Seattle Free Walking Tours had put more into marketing than ever, CNN reported, yet bookings remained down from last year.
A Slow Recovery With One Early Rebound
Overseas travel to the US, excluding Canada and Mexico, had fallen a further 4.3% through April, said Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics. He expected recovery to begin in the second half, though not enough to offset losses. CNN reported Canadian car trips rose 5.8% in April, the first increase in over a year, per Statistics Canada. Sacks said the US will get through this; the question is how long.
