How Much is Tourism Down in the US and Why?
What happened?
According to the latest data from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), in December 2025, non-US visitor arrivals dropped to 5.3 million, down 2.9 percent compared to the same month last year. In November 2025, arrivals of non-US citizens declined even more noticeably, falling to 4.2 million visitors, which is 5.2 percent lower than the same month in 2024.
It's fairly straightforward to attribute the tourism drop in the latest months to the lengthy 43-day government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025.
How did the government shutdown contribute to travel decline?
In short, thousands of critical travel workers were placed on furlough, sparking massive flight disruptions. Travel plans fell apart, and people put their trips on hold.
Furloughs affecting more than 800,000 federal employees created severe staffing shortages at TSA checkpoints. This resulted in significant delays, with some airports reporting average wait times of over 60 minutes. Flight reductions followed as air traffic controllers took reduced hours, or entire towers shut down.
These issues triggered numerous flight cancellations. In turn, they led to lost revenue that leisure travelers could have further spent on hospitality services.
Border crossings experienced comparable disruptions from understaffed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. Long lines lasting hours frustrated land travelers, especially those from Canada and Mexico.
More than 400 National Park Service sites, including Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and the Statue of Liberty, either closed completely or ran with skeleton crews. This denied entry to 40 million annual visitors and led to the cancellation of guided tours.
That said, all these disruptions do not account for the entire US tourism slump, which has been sliding since early 2025. This timing coincides with Trump's inauguration, which is actually anything but coincidental.
How did Trump’s presidency lead to US tourism drop?
Early 2025 saw a sharp decline in US inbound international travel due to various political factors tied to President Trump's reelection.
Strained international relationships. Public statements following the inauguration damaged the US image overseas. Criticism of long-standing allies, hostile remarks about Canada, and repeated emphasis on deportation policies generated unfavorable media coverage worldwide. These narratives reinforced the idea that international visitors were no longer a priority for the US.
Steep increases in travel-related fees. "Big Beautiful Bill," introduced in July 2025, has dramatically raised immigration and travel fees. For example, TPS applications now cost $500 (up from $50), and EADs for pending asylum jumped to $550. Non-immigrant visas (tourist, student, work) now include a mandatory $250 "Visa Integrity Fee", while ESTA for visa-waiver visitors has doubled to $40.
Additionally, just a couple of weeks ago, the Trump administration expanded its visa bond policy, adding 25 countries and bringing the total to 38 nations. Now, certain B1 and B2 visitor visa applicants must pay bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. This will also likely impact US visitation numbers in 2026.
Tariff disputes. At the same time, tariffs imposed in January 2025 heightened economic and diplomatic tensions. Duties of 10–25 percent on imports from Canada, Mexico, and the EU disrupted cross-border commerce. With countries hitting back through tariffs and fees, as well as all those climbing costs, US destinations have become less attractive for both business meetings and vacation getaways.
Where are travelers going instead of the US?
A CNBC survey asked respondents, "If you're reconsidering US travel, where would you go instead?" The leading five destinations were Southeast and East Asia, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, other North American spots, and South and Central Asia.
Canadians, for example, have sharply reduced their trips to the US (down 25–30 percent) and turned toward vacations at home or in Europe.
In striking contrast to the softening of inbound numbers, US citizens flew abroad more than ever, with 5.3 million air departures in November 2025. This marked a 1.3 percent rise from the prior year and sat 26.5 percent above pre-pandemic levels. Clearly, even Americans are choosing international getaways over domestic ones: Mexico took the top spot for the first half of 2025, with over 20 million US citizens visiting.
Photo by Reed Geiger on Unsplash