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 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.
Visitation declines by region
The decline in visitation to the United States was concentrated among travelers from a handful of regions, 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 Caribbean visitation 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 percentG 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. The top three source markets for October 2025 were rounded out by the United Kingdom, from which there were 426,538 visitors.
Also among the top five for October 2025 were Germany with 192,236 visitors, and South Korea 172,459. Combined, these top five source markets accounted for 61.3 percent of total international arrivals for the month.
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.
That report follows a series of industry reports underscoring the decline in visitors to the United States over the past year.
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 US 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 equally 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.
Still, while international visitation from some regions may be waning, domestic travel remains very strong. According to a travel 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 US 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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