The fall is dragging down more than just travel-related businesses, notably lower numbers arrived during 2025 - down by 6% - making it an outlier among leading destinations amid rising global trends.
Despite hopes for improvement, early figures from January 2026 show visits continuing to shrink, falling further by nearly five percent.
That stretch has kept about 11 million travelers away from American shores recently. With fewer people spending money across cities and states, income losses pile up quickly in areas like lodging, air transport, stores, and entertainment venues.
Far from insignificant, U.S. tourism fuels broad economic activity by sustaining employment, small enterprises, and city life.
Because foreign tourists often outspend locals, especially in expensive hubs such as Miami, New York, and Los Angeles, their absence weakens entire networks tied to lodging, dining, and services. As spending drops, so does income for workers and suppliers across these sectors.
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