New York City Had More Tourists in 2025, but International Travel Still Fell

New York City’s tourism numbers improved in 2025, but the recovery remained uneven.

The city welcomed around 65 million visitors last year, up 0.7 percent from 2024. That was slightly better than expected after officials had lowered their forecast earlier in the year.

Still, the growth came mainly from domestic travel. International arrivals fell to 12.5 million, down 3.2 percent year over year.

Domestic growth helped the total visitor count rise

Domestic travel was the main reason the city posted overall growth. Visits from within the US increased 1.7 percent from 2024, helping offset weaker international demand.

Canada was one of the biggest weak spots

The city said arrivals fell from seven of its top 10 international markets. One of the sharpest declines came from Canada, New York City’s second-largest international market after the UK. Canadian visits dropped 19 percent to 796,000.

There were some gains from the UK, Italy, and Mexico, but they were not enough to fully offset losses elsewhere.

New York was also feeling a broader US Slowdown

New York’s weaker international performance reflected a wider trend across the US travel market. The country recorded a 2.5 percent drop in overseas visitation in 2025, with arrivals declining in each of the last eight months of the year.

Officials expect 2026 to improve, but early signs are mixed

NYC Tourism + Conventions expects tourism to grow again in 2026. The agency projects 66.3 million total visitors, up 2 percent, and forecasts international arrivals will recover to 12.9 million.

Much of that optimism is linked to the FIFA World Cup, which will bring eight matches to the New York-New Jersey region, including the final on July 19 in East Rutherford. Officials believe the event will attract large crowds, but early hotel booking data suggests New York City may not capture all of that demand.

New York City’s softer international performance also reflects a wider problem across the US travel market, where inbound demand has remained under pressure rather than fully rebounding.

Photo by Michael Discenza on Unsplash