US Travel Faces Major Slowdown as Tourists Look Elsewhere

International travel to the US is down and it’s not hard to see why: Customs and Border Patrol have detained foreign travelers and denied some entry due to social media posts critical of the administration – and that’s not even counting the trans and nonbinary travelers who may face increased scrutiny over their official documents or gender presentation, or all the allies who don’t want to cosign bigotry with their tourist dollars. While the warnings against US travel have made headline news, how many people are actually staying away? And how much is this going to cost us? 

Our Biggest Travel Partner is Staying Home, Feeling Kinda Smug About It

Canada is leading the charge. Tired of veiled annexation jokes and not-so-veiled aggression, our northern neighbors are skipping their spring breaks in Florida, booking summer holidays elsewhere, and sending their bourbon back to Kentucky. It’s a classic move – Canadians aligning their spending with their values and putting us on notice.

What Americans may not realize – and are about to find out – is just how much money Canadian tourism and trade contributes to the US economy.

Canada is the number one source of international visitors to the U.S. And the US is already feeling the impact of lost tourism revenue.

The U.S. Travel Association spells it out: In 2024, Canadians made 20.4 million visits to America. They spent $20.5 billion, which directly supported 140,000 jobs. If 10 percent of Canadians stay home, the US loses $2.1 billion spending and 14,000 jobs.

In February 2025, Canadian travel across the border dropped by 12.5 percent. Winter is the slow season and Trumps “51st state” rhetoric was just getting started.

In March, Canadian travel to the US dropped 18 percent.

​The U.S. Travel Association​ spells it out for us: Canada is the number one source of international visitors to the U.S. 

In 2024, Canadians made 20.4 million visits to America. They spent $20.5 billion, which directly supported 140,000 jobs.

If just 10 percent of Canadians stay home, the US loses $2.1 billion spending and 14,000 jobs.

Judging by the dip in USA travel in the first four months of 2025, it’s way worse.

In February 2025, Canadian travel across the border dropped by 12.5 percent. Winter is the slow season and Trumps 51st state rhetoric was just getting started. 

In March – aka spring break month – Canadian travel to the US dropped 18 percent. 

In April, Canadian travel dropped by 15.2 percent.

European Travel is Down Nearly 20%

President Trump has made it clear how little regard he has for Europe. So it’s hardly a surprise that Europeans are reconsidering their trips to the US. and actively warning queer and trans citizens against US travel. 

European travel to the US is down 17.2%, with the biggest decrease coming from countries that have been the mot vocal about LGBTQ+ rights topics – countries like Germany, Spain and the UK. 

German tourism dropped 28.5 percent. Spanish tourism dropped 24.5 percent. And UK travel dropped 14.5 percent. 

Altogether, ​118,000 fewer Europeans visited the US​ than in 2024 – in just one month. March. We’re not even talking about summer travel plans changing.

I spoke with German journalists about the changing landscape of LGBTQ rights in the US and its impact on foreign travelers, unpacking what European visitors can expect and why some might reasonably decide to book a summer holiday elsewhere this year. 

Most of The World Avoiding US Travel, Data Shows

Media attention has largely focused on the drop in Canadian and European travel. But the rest of the world has turned away, too. 

International arrivals to the US dropped 3.3 percent year over year in March. That’s land, sea, and air border crossings combined. 

Visits are down from Central America, Africa and the Caribbean too. 

The only regions where more travelers are visiting the US are the Middle East and Eastern Europe. 

Why are So Many Travelers Skipping the US?

There are many reasons travelers are boycotting US travel.

Some see withholding a visit as a way to register their dislike of America’s new policies on issues like trade, human rights, immigration, or the climate. Pick your issue – there are many here,

More broadly, the US just isn’t seen as a welcoming destination.

Foreign tourists are rudely treated when crossing borders, whether they drive or fly.

Migrants are under increased scrutiny.

Students with valid visas are being rounded up and detained, even in so-called safe states like Massachusetts and New York.

Then there’s the deportations – of migrants and US citizens who get caught up by indifferent officers who say they’re ‘just carrying out the law.’

When Europeans look at what’s going on, they see a country distancing itself from democratic norms and cozying up to authoritarian regimes.

While LGBTQ+ rights aren’t usually the main reason for skipping the U.S., they are part of a broader concern for travelers from nations with more progressive policies—especially when those rights appear to be under threat.

The Impact for Americans

Goldman Sachs estimates the travel boycotts of the US will cost $90 billion. Altogether, travel contributes ​$2.9 trillion​ to the US economy and supports ​9.5 million jobs​. 

The most popular states for Canadians to visit are split between the best states for trans folks – California, New York and Nevada – and the worst states to be trans – Florida and Texas.

The unfortunate thing about boycotting American travel is that it punishes both the states that are values-aligned with Canada and those that aren’t – ​as well as any people in those deep red states organizing the resistance​. 

I’d recommend Americans take advantage of the dip in travel and visit some National Parks this summer, but given the cuts to the park system, I’m not sure how feasible or enjoyable that’s going to be.

Bottom line: US travel is down as countries express their dissatisfaction with tariffs, civil liberties, and the detention of foreign tourists. One Wall Street analyst puts the price tag at $90 billion, which will have a massive impact on American jobs. Will the US rebound when the tariffs come off, or is the reputational damage to the US going to be longer lasting? Time will tell.