As of 2025, the influx of international travelers to the United States remains on a downward trajectory, largely influenced by various policies from the administration of former President Donald Trump. These changes have left potential visitors feeling apprehensive about venturing to the US.
Recent preliminary government statistics reveal that foreign visits declined by 3% year-over-year in July. This trend marks a consistent decrease, evident almost every month since Trump took office in January 2025. Out of the six months so far this year, five have documented a reduction in overseas tourists.
“People are afraid—there’s a lot of political tension surrounding immigration,” observed Luise Francine, a tourist from Brazil visiting Washington, DC, in a statement to Al Jazeera.
Experts and local authorities highlight that Trump’s tariffs, strict immigration enforcement, and controversial statements regarding acquiring territories—like Canada and Greenland—have contributed to a growing alienation among foreign travelers.
Ryan Bourne, an economist at the Cato Institute, noted that the downturn in tourism directly correlates with Trump’s combative language and policies. “This decrease reflects the impact of trade wars and rising concerns about immigration enforcement,” he explained.
A recent analysis from Tourism Economics projects an 8.2% reduction in international arrivals to the US by the end of 2025. While this is slightly better than previous forecasts predicting a 9.4% decline, it remains significantly lower than pre-COVID-19 visitation levels.
“The emotional impact has been substantial,” the firm stated, suggesting that the notable slowdown in travel observed in May, June, and July will likely persist in the upcoming months based on current airline bookings.
Notably, figures from July 2025 do not include data from neighboring Canada and Mexico, though Canadian visitation has seen a steep decline—down by 25% compared to the same period in 2024, as reported by Tourism Economics.
In an unexpected turn, more US residents traveled to Canada in June and July than vice versa, a trend not recorded in nearly two decades, aside from a few months during the pandemic, according to Statistics Canada.
New Visa Fees on the Horizon
In contrast, tourism from Mexico has shown growth, with overall travel from Central America rising 3% through May and South America by 0.7%. However, significant declines have been recorded from traditional tourist-sending countries. Among the top ten, only Japan and Italy saw increases in July, while arrivals from India and China decreased by 5.5% and nearly 14%, respectively.
Historical relations between the US and India have soured under Trump’s leadership due to tariffs and geopolitical friction, while concerns about immigration enforcement have driven Chinese tourists away.
According to Deborah Friedland, managing director at Eisner Advisory Group, the US travel sector faces multiple challenges, including rising travel expenses, political instability, and ongoing geopolitical conflicts.
Since resuming office, Trump has doubled down on divisive policies from his first term, including a renewed travel ban affecting primarily African and Middle Eastern countries, stricter visa regulations, and intensified immigration enforcement actions.
Moreover, a new $250 “visa integrity fee,” set to take effect on October 1, poses additional barriers for travelers from non-visa waiver countries such as Mexico, Argentina, India, Brazil, and China, elevating the total visa cost to approximately $442—one of the highest visitor fees globally, according to the US Travel Association.
“Any additional friction in the travel process will likely decrease travel volumes to some extent,” stressed Gabe Rizzi, president of Altour, a global travel management firm. “As summer draws to a close, this issue will become increasingly important as travel budgets and documentation requirements are reassessed.”
Projected international visitor spending in the US is slated to drop below $169 billion this year, down from $181 billion in 2024, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. May’s forecast indicated that the US would be the only nation among 184 analyzed where foreign visitor spending would decline in 2025. This finding serves as a stark reminder that the global allure of the US is waning.