Summer is here. The international tourists are not. Why the US is losing billions in visitor revenue.

Boston Globe

23-07-2025

Advertisement
Predictions about tourism losses in the United States began shortly after Trump took office. But now that we've arrived in the thick of summer, a time when international tourism should be hitting its peak, those predictions have become reality. Airlines are
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
The losses are hitting the travel industry across the board with ever-changing volatility, said Dulani Porter, an executive vice president with Spark, an agency that works with travel brands such as Visit Fort Lauderdale, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Hilton Hotels & Resorts.
Visitors walk along an uncrowded Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 28, in Los Angeles.
Justin Sullivan/Getty
'It's all sectors,' she said. 'Domestic travel has remained consistent, but the international travelers are not coming to the US this year. It's off 20 percent in some markets. The biggest declines have been from Canadian and Mexican travelers. Western Europeans are also going elsewhere.'
Advertisement
New research published last week from
'Factors contributing to the negative outlook include Trump administration posturing and policy announcements, such as 'Liberation Day' tariffs across long-standing trade partners,' Aran Ryan, director of industry studies, concluded. 'Media coverage of border security incidents and national travel advisories also pose risks.'
Multiple countries have issued travel advisories in recent months. Australia updated its advisory last month, citing gun violence and unpredictable immigration enforcement in the United States. Germany, France, Denmark, and Finland all issued warnings about new US gender policies that may affect travelers who use nonbinary identifiers in their passports. The UK's Foreign Office is warning travelers to the United States that minor entry mistakes could lead to detention or deportation.
Old Orchard Beach in Maine was quiet the weekend before the Fourth of July. The author didn't see a single Quebec license plate during his visit, which is highly unusual in the summer.
Christopher Muther
A Canadian actor on a work visa was detained at the Tijuana border for 12 days before being sent home, according to
Musicians have also been canceling US tours. Bells Larsen, a transgender singer-songwriter based in Montreal,
Advertisement
'The current political climate in the US, especially in regard to immigration and freedom of speech, is very worrisome,' the band wrote in a message
The White House has dismissed the advisories. At
In addition to the warnings, fees to enter the country for international visitors are rising. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization fee is rising from $21 to $40. The
'These fees are not reinvested in improving the travel experience and do nothing but discourage visitation at a time when foreign travelers are already concerned about the welcome experience and high prices,' Geoff Freeman, president of the US Travel Association, said in a
All of these factors have made the United States a less appealing place for international tourists to spend their vacation dollars.
Advertisement
The travel industry publication
A man walks past Delusions of Grandeur furniture shop in Ottawa in April. Signs that once announced sales are replaced with an anti-American sentiment that has not waned.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
New Englanders don't need an industry survey to see that those numbers are down. A quick drive through Old Orchard Beach, where French becomes the unofficial second language each summer, shows a distinct lack of license plates from Quebec in hotel parking lots.
Wright, of Jay Peak, said he spent two weeks calling nearly 100 long-time Canadian customers who purchased season passes last year but haven't yet this year.
'They cite the present administration's flagrant disrespect of Canadian independence as not only a challenge to Canadian sovereignty, but to their own identity, and they feel the need to respond,' Wright said.
The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates the loss of international tourism to the US economy at $12.5 billion.
'This is a wake-up call for the US government,' said Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the council. 'The world's biggest travel and tourism economy is heading in the wrong direction. . . . While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the US government is putting up the 'closed' sign.'
Simpson's assessment may sound dramatic, but at a time when tourism is dropping, the government has slashed funding to market the country as a tourism destination. Part of Trump's
Advertisement
A Brand USA representative said that despite the cuts, the organization is proceeding with an America the Beautiful campaign slated to begin next month.
'We're trying to do all we can,' said Chris Heywood, chief communications officer for Brand USA. 'Despite our budget restrictions and limitations, we're putting all our chips on the table and still trying to deliver.'
He's also optimistic that 2026 will be a stronger year for tourism, with events such as
l
(
But in the interim, the losses are piling up. The latest
No matter what the financial loss, perhaps the largest hit is to the goodwill tourists feel toward the United States.
In Perth, Nigel Goodman said he will 'not step foot in the US until the current administration is gone.' In New Brunswick, Adam MacDonald said he will not be visiting relatives in Massachusetts this summer. In Spain, Maria García is not comfortable with the thought of a US vacation.
Advertisement
'I know the risks are low,' she said earlier this month at a rooftop bar in Madrid. 'But vacation shouldn't come with any risks at all.'
Christopher Muther can be reached at