Many foreign tourists skipped the US this summer

LAS VEGAS (AP) – In a few hopeful weeks this summer, bright signs on the major highway linking Toronto to New York welcomed Canadian drivers with a simple message saying “Buffalo loves Canada.”

The marketing campaign, which includes a $500 gift card present, was intended to show off the buffalo Northern Neighbors They were very welcome, wanted And I missed it.

Patrick Curry, CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Visit, CEO of the local tourism agency, initially thought it might work. Over 1,000 people participated in the gift. However, by the end of July it was clear that a reliable summer wave of Canadian visitors would not arrive this year.

Buffalo’s struggle is reflected A wider economic downturn Travel analysts warn international tourism to the US could survive in the future. From northern border towns to big hot spots Las Vegas and Los Angelesa popular travel destination reported fewer foreign visitors this summer.

Experts and some local officials attribute that trend It appeared first In February, President Donald Trump returned to the White House. They say his tariffs, immigration crackdown and repeated jabs about the US Canadian acquisition and Greenland Almated travelers from other parts of the world.

“It’s very discouraging to see traffic drop so much, especially due to the rhetoric that can be changed,” Colour said.

The forecast shows that foreign travelers will be lost

Projected by the World Travel & Tourism Council Before the anniversary The World Industry Association said that when the United States becomes the only country in 184 when foreign visitors spending falls in 2025, foreign visitors spending is “a clear indicator that the US’s global appeal is slipping.”

“The world’s biggest travel and tourism economy is heading in the wrong direction,” said Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the Council. “The US government has set up ‘closed’ signs while other countries are deploying welcome mats. ”

Meanwhile, tourism economics, a travel research firm, forecast this month that the US will reduce international arrivals by 8.2% in 2025, an improvement from previous forecast of a 9.4% decline, well below the number of foreign visitors to the country before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The emotional drag has proven to be serious,” the company said, indicating that airline bookings indicate that “sharp slower inbound travel” in May, June and July is likely to last for the coming months.

Deborah Friedland, managing director of financial services firm Eisner Advisory Group, said the US travel industry is facing multiple headwinds. Geopolitical tension.

Since returning to the office, Trump has doubled some of the Hardline policies that defined his first term. No travel It targets countries mainly in Africa and the Middle East, tightens the rules around it Visa approval And the lamp up Mass immigrant attacks. At the same time, the promotion of tariffs on foreign goods, which became a critical feature of his second term, gave them a sense that they didn’t want elsewhere.

“Perception is reality,” Friedland said.

International arrivals from Western Europe, Asia and Africa

The international swing dance organizers said the impression of hostility towards American foreigners led them to postpone an event that was scheduled to take place this month in the Harlem area of ​​New York City.

About three months after Trump’s second term, international competitors began withdrawing from the world finals of the International Lindy Hop Championship, saying they weren’t welcome, said Tena Morales, co-producer of the event. She said about half of the attendees come from outside the US, mostly from Canada and France each year.

Contest organizers are considering whether to hold annual competitions in other countries until Trump’s presidency is over, Morales said.

“The climate is still the same, and what we’re hearing is still the same. (Dancers) don’t want to come here,” she said.

The capital of the country where the Trump administration has been in power in recent weeks National security personnel deployed I took over the management team Union StationI also noticed the effects.

The local tourism bureau predicts a DIP of 5.1% for international visitors that year. Marketing organization’s destination DC said last week it plans to “oppose negative rhetoric” the city in a campaign featuring residents and highlighting Washington’s “more personal aspects.”

US government data confirms an overall decline in international arrivals in the first seven months of the year. Number of overseas visitors, category not including travellers From Mexico Or, according to preliminary figures from the National Travel and Tourism Authority, Canada fell more than 3 million, or more than 1.6%, compared to the same period last year.

As tourists, Western Europe fell by 2.3%, while visitors from Denmark fell by 10% from Germany and 6.6% from France. A similar pattern emerged in Asia. There, US data showed double-digit declines in arrivals from Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines. As of July, residents of countries across Africa had also traveled to the United States.

However, visitors from some of the countries within it ArgentinaBrazil, Italy and Japan have arrived more.

Filling the blank left by Canadian tourists

Also, not all US destinations reported a decline for tourism during the summer.

On the Door Peninsula in eastern Wisconsin, spanning Lake Michigan and Green Bay, a steady stream of loyal Midwest visitors helped bring a strong summer to local businesses.

Many business owners reported that pedestrians were rising significantly after the season started quietly, Jarosh said, and the sidewalks were bustling and restaurants were packed into the middle of summer.

Executives from major US airlines said last month that it helped book premium airfares booking American passengers, and demand for domestic flights recovered after a weaker than expected show in the first half of 2025.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it’s ready for what’s busiest Labor Day weekend In 15 years. Air Aviation bookings rose about 2% compared to 2024, a long holiday weekend that began Thursday, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.

However, once summer is over, there are no foreign visitors. Buffalo According to Colour, the head of Buffalo Niagara’s visit, it’s still visible.

Canada sent more than 20 million visitors to the United States last year than any other country, US government data shows. However, this year, Canadian residents are the most reluctant to visit.

According to the Canadian National Statistics Agency, in major U-turns, more US residents rushed to Canada than Canadians traveled back in June and July. Statistics Canada said it was the first time that this has happened in nearly 20 years, except for two months during the pandemic.

In July alone, the number of Canadian residents returning from the US by car fell 37% from the previous year, falling 26% on air travel, the agency said.

As a result, Visit Buffalo Niagara shifted its marketing efforts this summer to cities such as Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. Amateur kids’ sporting events also helped fill the gap left by Canadian tourists.

“We are always welcome Canadians. “We don’t want Canadians to feel like they’re just looking at them as a sign or a deal on our cash register. They mean that to us.”