Photo: Marko Djurica/ Reuters
The United States could lose almost $12.5 billion in 2025 due to the outflow of international tourists. The reason is immigration policy and reputational losses associated with the previous Trump administration, the WTTC warns. This was reported by La Libre Belgique.
The American tourism sector is in decline. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), revenues from international tourists in the US will fall to $169 billion this year, down $12.5 billion from last year and almost 22.5% less than in the pre-digital year of 2019, when the peak of $217.4 billion was recorded.
“The United States is the only country among 184 analysed where the number of foreign tourists is expected to fall in 2025,” the WTTC study said, as quoted by La Libre Belgique.
Several factors explain the reluctance of tourists to come to the US:
- Tighter border controls and the fear of being accidentally deported.
- Uncertainty about visas and the difficulty of obtaining them.
- The negative rhetoric of the Trump administration, which continues to affect the image of the US as an “unwelcoming” country.
“Mexicans and Canadians don’t come to us anymore,” says WTTC President Julia Simpson, adding that tourists are afraid to even try to visit the US because of repressive measures and political instability.
Instead, other countries, such as China, are simplifying visa rules to attract more travellers.
“While other countries are rolling out the red carpet for tourists, the United States is putting up a ‘closed’ sign,” Simpson concludes.
The WTTC warns that without decisive action from Washington, the United States may not return to pre-war levels of tourist spending for years.
