US Tourism Recovery Slows as International Arrivals Plummet in Late 2025

International visitation to the United States declined as 2025 came to a close, hampering some of the post-pandemic recovery the country had been experiencing.

For the months of September, October and November, overseas arrivals to the United States consistently experienced a downward trajectory, according to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO).

Most significantly, in September 2025, total overseas arrivals were down 7.7 percent from the same month one year earlier. In October, the monthly decline in overseas arrivals shrunk to 3.1 percent year-over-year, according to preliminary data. And in November (the latest data available from NTTO) overseas visitation was down 3.5 percent compared to the same month one year earlier, also per preliminary data.

In addition, a press release from the NTTO covering October 2025 data shows that total international visitor arrivals (which includes overseas arrivals, as well as arrivals from Canada and Mexico) totaled 5,846,506, a decrease of 5.7 percent compared to October 2024. 

That figure is also noteworthy, as it amounts to just 87.4 percent of pre-COVID total visitor volume.

Declines in U.S. visitation by region

The reduction in visitor numbers was concentrated among travelers from a handful of regions around the world, particularly Western Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.

The NTTO’s preliminary November 2025 report shows visitors from Western Europe declined 5.5 percent compared to the same month one year earlier, while arrivals from Africa plummeted 15.6 percent. Oceania region arrivals were down 14.4 percent for November 2025 compared to the same month one year earlier and arrivals from the Caribbean declined 6.6 percent from November 2024.

Separately, inbound travel from several global regions remained strong, including the Middle East and Central America (excluding Mexico). In November the number arrivals from each region was up 7.5 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively.

Trends among top 20 overseas source markets 

Of the 20 countries that are considered the top overseas source markets for visitors to the United States, 12 showed a decline in the number of arrivals for November 2025 compared to the same month one year earlier. (Overseas source markets do not include Canada or Mexico).

Here’s a closer look at the most significant drops in visitation by country:

• United Kingdom: -1.8 percent

• Brazil: - 8.5 percent

• India: -9.2 percent
• 
Germany: -8.2 percent

• France: -8.0 percent

• China: -6.9 percent

• Italy: -1.5 percent

• Spain: -3.0 percent

• Australia: - 12.7 percent

• Dominican Republic: - 2.1 percent
• 
Ireland: -6.2 percent 

• The Netherlands: -8.0 percent


  
  

Here too, however, the data shows a fragmented picture, as visitation from several overseas countries remained strong and was up for the month of November 2025. That trend includes the following countries:

• Japan: +11.5 percent

• South Korea: +9.2 percent

• Colombia: +13.4 percent
• 
Argentina: +5.5 percent
• G
uatemala: +15.5 percent

• Israel: +21.2 percent

• Ecuador: +3.9 percent
• 
Costa Rica: +11.5 percent 

The NTTO’s October 2025 report offers the most complete preliminary data available and shows that the largest number of international visitor arrivals to the United States for that month were from Mexico at 1,569,052. That figure was followed by Canada from which there were 1,222,112 visitors and the United Kingdom, with 426,538 visitors.

Germany and South Korea rounded out the top five source markets for the month with 192,236 visitors and 172,459. Combined, these five source markets accounted for 61.3 percent of the total international arrivals to the United States in October.

A recent New York Times report on the decline in international visitation to the United States points to a variety of potential causes including measures implemented under the Trump Administration, such as steep new fees for visitors, heightened travel restrictions, increasingly challenging visa hurdles and uncertainty about border entry.

The New York Times article follows a series of industry reports underscoring the decline in visitors to the United States over the past year under the Trump Administration.

Is the post-pandemic travel industry recovery really slowing in the U.S.?

Kyle Remp, president of Bonotel Exclusive Travel, which specializes in luxury travel throughout North America, says the NTTO data surrounding overseas travel to the U.S. directly aligns with what his company has experienced over the past several months.

"Our booking patterns for October through December 2025 followed this trend as well," Remp told TravelPulse, adding that client sentiment also underscores changing attitudes surrounding traveling to the U.S.

"Our clients cited several themes when providing feedback to us. The first dealt with entry to and exit from the United States. Our clients had concerns over their travelers having their personal devices reviewed for social media content. They also had generalized concerns about immigration policies, and how their travelers might get caught up in immigration enforcement activities."

The second theme Remp said he has observed in recent months relates to what he called "the inconveniences and fees associated with entering the US." In particular, he cited the $250 "visa integrity" fee introduced by the Trump Administration, as well as the administrations new, higher national park fees for international travelers. 

"This combined with some of the recent geopolitical messaging, has turned some would be travelers off of the US as a vacation destination," he said. 

"Finally, international travelers have expressed that the U.S. might 'no longer be worth it.' The costs of airfare, lodging, and destination expenses, such as food and entertainment, have caused international travelers to look for vacation destinations a little closer to home," Remp added. "While in practicality, these issues might not be as significant as they seem; the combination of all of them being consistently messaged in the media has been enough to cause a subtle shift in behavior."

The far reaching impact of recent changes to visa policies for would-be visitors are especially important to bear in mind, said Michelle Abeckierr, founding and managing partner of Abeckjerr Immigration Law.

"While many countries qualify for the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which allows travel to the United States without a formal visa and applies primarily to citizens of Schengen countries, recent visa trends have had a significant impact on nationals who do not qualify for that program," said Abeckierr.

Anna Blount, vice president of industry research for the analytics firm Datafy says international visitation to the U.S. had been trending toward recovery after the pandemic. But that progress is now at risk of being actively reversed.

"With Canadian travel already under pressure amid political and economic frictions, 2026 is shaping up to be a challenging year for inbound growth, not because global travelers aren’t interested in traveling, but because the U.S. is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to enter," says Blount.

International visitation is influenced by two forces: desirability and accessibility. In 2026, accessibility is the clear threat, Blount continues.

As of this month, full travel bans are in place for 19 countries, with partial bans affecting an additional 19. On top of that, (as already mentioned) travelers from visa-required countries face a new $250 Visa Integrity Fee. And that's not all. Citizens from 13 of those countries may also be required to post a visa bond of up to $15,000, says Blount.

Even travelers from visa-waiver countries aren’t immune the changes. ESTA fees (the automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program) have nearly doubled, increasing cost and friction for markets that have historically been reliable contributors to U.S. visitation, continued Blount.

"The impact of these policies is not theoretical. Historically, higher visa costs, longer processing times, and increased complexity have had a measurable dampening effect on international travel demand," says Blount. "These barriers hit emerging and middle-income markets hardest, which are often the very segments that drive future growth. The result isn’t just a slower rebound; it creates longer-term structural constraints that could reshape inbound trends well beyond 2026."

Big picture: Recovery isn’t stalling because people don’t want to visit the U.S. It’s being eroded because the barriers to entry are rising, fast.

Still, while international visitation from some regions is waning, domestic travel remains strong. According to a forecast published by the U.S. Travel Association in October 2025 "the continued strength of American consumers contributes by far the largest component of U.S. travel spending." The same report added that while "consumer sentiment shows concern about inflation and general economic conditions...Americans continued to prioritize travel

Data from the booking platform HotelPlanner bears this out as well.

"Whilst the U.S. has seen a decrease in international arrivals in 2025, on our platform, this shortfall has been replaced by Americans traveling within the USA," said Tim Gunstone, HotelPlanner's chief communications officer. "When the world is a scary place, we still want to fill our lives with experiences, but we seem to do this closer to home."

 

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