Global Travel Booms—But Not for the US
International visitor numbers and spending have fallen even as global travel demand rises sharply worldwide.
Photo: Maarten van den Heuvel / Unsplash
The United States remained the world’s largest travel and tourism market in 2025, but lost ground internationally, according to new data from the World Travel & Tourism Council.
International visitor numbers to the U.S. fell 5.5% year over year, while international spending dropped 4.6% to $176 billion—even as global travel volumes increased by roughly 80 million trips. The gap is notable: demand is growing, but not for the U.S.
The broader picture is more stable. Travel and tourism contributed $2.63 trillion to U.S. GDP in 2025, supporting 20.4 million jobs and adding about 242,000 new roles. Domestic demand continues to carry the market, with spending reaching $1.54 trillion, up slightly year over year and well above pre-pandemic levels.
But the imbalance between domestic strength and international softness is where operators should be paying attention. North America was the slowest-growing region globally last year, with U.S. growth at just 0.9%. At the same time, Asia-Pacific is accelerating, led by markets like China, where travel and tourism GDP grew 9.9% to $1.75 trillion.
That shift is already showing up in traveler behavior. While the U.S. still leads in scale, it is capturing a smaller share of international demand, especially as competing destinations invest more aggressively in promotion, infrastructure, and ease of access.
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“The United States remains the largest travel and tourism market in the world and has an amazing foundation,” said Gloria Guevara, the president and CEO of WTTC. “To avoid losing its leadership position the U.S. must invest in promoting its attractiveness, both in international markets and during the summer of football; change perception and position the U.S. as a welcoming destination; and grow international visitor spend, encouraging stopovers and new experiences.”
The timing matters. The U.S. is set to co-host the FIFA World Cup 2026, with WTTC estimating roughly 1.24 million international visitors during the tournament period. That creates a short-term influx, but also a test of whether those trips translate into longer stays, repeat visits, and broader itineraries.
At the same time, competing markets are moving faster. Asia-Pacific is now the fastest-growing travel region globally, with multiple countries posting high single- to double-digit gains in tourism GDP.
For advisors, the shift is already showing up in where clients are choosing to go. The U.S. still commands spending, but it’s competing harder for it.
Whether inbound demand will rebound will likely become clearer after the 2026 World Cup cycle, when those visitor numbers—and what follows them—become visible in the data.
