US tourism slump deepens: Foreign visits drop amid Trump's policies
The drop extends a downward trend seen almost every month since Trump took office in late January. In five out of six months under his administration, foreign visitor arrivals have declined.
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The number of foreign visitors to the United States continues to fall, with experts pointing to US President Donald Trump's policies as a key factor behind the decline, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
According to preliminary government data released in July, international visits to the US decreased by 3 percent compared to the same month last year.
The drop extends a downward trend seen almost every month since Trump took office in late January. In five out of six months under his administration, foreign visitor arrivals have declined.
"Everyone is afraid, scared - there's too much politics about immigration," said Luise Francine, a tourist from Brazil visiting Washington, DC, in comments to Al Jazeera.
Experts and officials say Trump's aggressive trade tariffs, strict immigration enforcement, and controversial remarks about acquiring Canada and Greenland have further discouraged tourists.
Ryan Bourne, an economist at the Cato Institute told Al Jazeera the fall in numbers was directly tied to both Trump's rhetoric and his policies.
Looking ahead, travel research firm Tourism Economics forecasts that the US will see 8.2 percent fewer international arrivals in 2025 compared to previous years. While this is an improvement from its earlier estimate of a 9.4 percent decline, the numbers remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels, the report added.
"The sentiment drag has proven to be severe," the firm noted in the report, citing airline booking data that indicates the slowdown from May to July is set to persist in the coming months.
Canadian travel to the US has been especially hit hard. One-quarter fewer Canadians have visited the country this year compared to the same period in 2024, according to Tourism Economics.
