International Travel to the United States Drops in 2025
The United States saw a decline in international visitors throughout 2025. The National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) reported a 6.2 percent decrease in non-U.S. resident visitors in December alone, marking a continued trend of lower travel volume. The total arrivals that month numbered over 6 million, representing 88 percent of the pre-pandemic levels.
When looking at the entire year, about 68 million international travelers visited the United States. This figure is 86 percent of what the country saw before the pandemic began, and it shows a 5.5 percent decrease compared to 2024. Overseas visitors fell by 2.5 percent over the year.
Countries contributing the most visitors to the United States included Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Japan. Together, these five countries accounted for 59 percent of all international arrivals. Business travel primarily involved visitors from India, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and South Korea.
While Mexico saw growth in its number of visitors to the U.S., rising by 6.4 percent to nearly 18 million, Canada showed a significant decrease. Canadian visitor arrivals dropped by 20.9 percent to just over 16 million. This drop reflects political tensions and trade disagreements with Canada, which affected travel patterns. Border destinations and cities like Seattle and Las Vegas have felt the impact deeply, forcing them to adapt to the decline. Even major attractions like Disney parks noticed fewer Canadian guests.
Meanwhile, U.S. travelers heading abroad increased in 2025. Over ten million Americans traveled internationally, a rise of 3.6 percent. Nearly half of these visitors went to Canada or Mexico. Europe remained a popular destination, with a 2.9 percent increase in U.S. visitors in December alone.
Some regions worldwide experienced growth in tourism. Central America’s visitor numbers increased by 4.7 percent. Eastern Europe and the Middle East also reported rises of 2.5 and 2 percent, respectively.
Overall, the current data suggests the United States is not yet back to pre-pandemic levels for international visitation. Many other tourism markets globally have already returned to or exceeded their visitor numbers from before the pandemic.
Travel professionals and businesses reliant on international tourism continue to monitor and respond to these trends. The changing dynamics underscore the need for strategies that can attract visitors from diverse regions and maintain the country’s appeal as a travel destination.
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