The number of overseas visitors to the U.S. dropped by several million in 2025 compared to 2024, with the World Travel & Tourism Council advising America to make itself welcoming again.
However, the White House sees the picture differently, insisting that President Donald Trump has “done more for American tourism than anyone.”
The rebuttal came after research by the council revealed that while global travel had a bumper year in 2025, with the number of international travelers up by 80 million, international visitor spending in the U.S. fell 4.6 percent to $176 billion and foreign tourist visits slid by 5.5 percent.
While some overseas markets grew by 1.7 million visits, this was outweighed by arrivals from other countries shrinking by 5.7 million, leading to an overall decline of around four million.
The council believes that the U.S. “is now at a crossroads in its tourism development,” with a tainted image as a destination and in danger of losing its crown as the world’s biggest travel and tourism market to China.
Travel and tourism there contributed $1.75 trillion to GDP in 2025, growing 9.9 percent year on year.
There were around 150 million inbound visitors to China in 2025, versus 68 million to the U.S.
Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of tourism council, said the U.S. must change how travelers perceive it, and use the World Cup, which is expected to bring 1.24 million international visitors, to its advantage.
“To avoid losing its leadership position, the U.S. must invest in promoting its attractiveness, both in international markets and during the summer of football; change perception and position the U.S. as a welcoming destination; and grow international visitor spend, encouraging stopovers and new experiences,” she said.
But when The Independent asked the White House if America had an image problem, and whether it was worried about visitor numbers, Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly was bullish, heralding Trump as a driving force for tourism spend.
“President Trump has done more for American tourism than anyone, including by making our cities safe and beautiful again for all to enjoy and bringing major events like the Los Angeles Olympics and FIFA World Cup to the United States,” Kelly noted.
“His America First agenda has restored our country’s place as the leader of the free world once again — making it the best place to live or visit.”
The council said that the downward trend for U.S. international tourism was largely driven by Canada, with 4.2 million fewer Canadians heading south to the U.S. for vacations.
Germany was the second-biggest decline driver, with 225,000 fewer visits. Other significant drops were linked to India (down 130,000) and France (down 116,000).
The states that attract the most tourists in the U.S. are New York, Florida, California, Nevada and Texas.
