The welcome mat is out, but international visitors are not showing up.

The post-pandemic travel boom that was expected to bring a flood of international visitors back to the United States has fizzled into a serious tourism drought. New data for 2025 reveals a shocking decline in inbound international travel, creating a $29 billion hole in the nation’s economy and leaving tourist-dependent businesses scrambling. This isn’t a single-cause problem, but a perfect storm of economic and social factors.
The result is a country that is suddenly a much less attractive destination for the global traveler.