Tourism to the United States dropped by four million visitors in 2025—figures that reveal the extent of a problem the sector has been warning about for over a year. The so-called “Trump Slump,” a decline in consumer demand for travel to the US blamed on President Trump’s controversial foreign policies and border crackdown.
The loss of four million arrivals and tourist spending that plummeted by $8 billion over 2025 now shows that the year was worse for US travel than the 2008 recession. It also represents the first time since COVID-19 that visitor numbers have gone down year-on-year, in the worst single year decline for two decades.
Perceptions of the US have shifted towards the negative, amid Trump’s trade tariffs, provocative statements on neighbouring Canada and Mexico, the war in Iran, and travel advisories from governments worldwide that warn of strict US border enforcement. But perceptions are only part of the problem.
For many would-be visitors to the US, real barriers have been raised, such as a proposed $250 visa integrity fee, or visa bonds of up to $15,000, high jet fuel prices, and even outright entry bans.
The outlook is so bad that it appears not even the World Cup can save it. Bookings have been mediocre, and despite a last-ditch attempt to gee up enthusiasm for the event, with special aircraft liveries and visa bond waivers for match ticket holders, many fear the atmosphere at US matches will be subdued as fans choose to stay away.
Canada turning red is the geopolitical version of your golden retriever finally biting you. pic.twitter.com/zmDpQxyL41
— 𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕖_𝔾𝕦𝕣𝕝 (@SundaeDivine) May 26, 2026
Some have argued that the slump in US inbound travel is associated with wider global uncertainty, but now, definitely, and adding insult to injury, the figures for 2025 show that, simply, fewer visitors went to the States, despite a surge in travel to other destinations over the same period. The number of international travellers in 2025 increased by 80 million, compared with the year before, the World Travel and Tourism Council noted in April.
There is, however, some good news among the bleak tourism figures. 2025’s visitors spent more per person than the previous year. If that pattern can be replicated in better years for arrivals, the sector could get a much-needed boost.
Right now, though, higher per-person spending can not make up for the low number of visitors, overall. Total visitor spending was $8.4 billion, less than in 2024 (inflation and exchange-adjusted). Analysts from Tourism Economics have put the loss at up to $25 billion when taking into account the gap between forecasts for 2025 and reality. Making matters worse, the national office for travel and tourism now predicts international arrivals will not reach pre-pandemic levels until 2029.
