US Travel Spending on Track to Decline by 22.5% Amid Visa and Border Crackdown

Strategic Insights -

The United States is facing a significant decline in international travel spending, with a projected loss of $12.5 billion this year, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (W.T.T.C.). This downward trend is attributed to negative sentiment driven by tourist detentions, steep tariffs, and immigration crackdowns, making international visitors feel unwelcome or unsafe. The W.T.T.C. notes that the US is the only country among the 184 economies analyzed to forecast an international visitor decline in 2025.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US is on track to lose $12.5 billion in international travel spending this year, a 22.5% decline from the 2024 forecast of $181 billion.
  • The decline is driven by negative sentiment due to tourist detentions, steep tariffs, and immigration crackdowns.
  • International arrivals have steadily declined this year, with significant drops in March from key markets like Canada, Britain, and South Korea.
  • Foreign travelers spend an average of $4,000 per trip, eight times more than domestic travelers.
  • In 2024, the US welcomed 72.4 million international visitors, 7 million fewer than in 2019.
  • The W.T.T.C. notes that 90% of tourism spending in 2024 came from domestic tourists.

Statistics:

  • $12.5 billion: The projected loss in international travel spending for the US this year.
  • 22.5%: The decline in international travel spending from the 2024 forecast of $181 billion.
  • $181 billion: The US international travel spending forecast for 2024.
  • $217.4 billion: The US international travel spending peak in 2019.
  • 90%: The percentage of tourism spending in 2024 that came from domestic tourists.
  • $4,000: The average spending per international trip.
  • $2.36 trillion: The contribution of tourism and travel to the US economy last year.
  • 72.4 million: The number of international visitors welcomed to the US in 2024.

Sources:

  • World Travel & Tourism Council. (2024). Economic Impact Research.
  • U.S. Travel Association. (n.d.). International Travel Spending.
  • U.S. Department of Commerce. (n.d.). International Trade.
  • New York Times. (n.d.). US Travel Spending on Track to Decline by 22.5% Amid Visa and Border Crackdown.