International tourism to the United States has experienced a significant decline in early 2025, with overseas visits dropping 11.6% in March compared to the previous year, according to new data from the National Travel and Tourism Office [1].

The January-March period saw 7.1 million visitors enter the U.S. from overseas, representing a 3.3% decrease from the same period in 2024. Air travel from Mexico specifically declined by 23%, though complete data for Canadian and Mexican land crossings is still pending [2].

Tourism Economics, which previously forecast a 9% increase in international arrivals for 2025, has revised its outlook to project a 9.4% decline. The organization estimates this downturn could result in a $9 billion reduction in U.S. tourism spending this year [1][2].

Canadian tourism, which accounted for 20.2 million visitors in 2024, shows particularly steep declines. Flight Centre Travel Group Canada reports a 40% decrease in U.S. leisure bookings for March 2025, leading Air Canada to reduce flights to popular destinations including Florida, Las Vegas, and Arizona [1].

The impact extends beyond North America. According to Marco Jahn, CEO of New World Travel, bookings from various international markets have dropped between 20% and 50% over the past 8-10 weeks [3].

Economic factors are also influencing travel patterns, particularly for Japanese tourists. The weak yen has made U.S. travel significantly more expensive, leading many Japanese travelers to choose alternative destinations like South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Australia, according to Takaaki Mitamura of Veltra Corp [1].

The National Travel and Tourism Office's previous forecast suggested international arrivals would reach 77.1 million this year and surpass 2019 levels by 2026. However, Tourism Economics now projects pre-pandemic tourism levels won't be achieved until 2029 [2].