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China is rapidly gaining ground on America as the No.1 global tourism destination
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Fewer people are choosing to visit the U.S., with the country seeing a 5.5 percent drop in visitor numbers in 2025 compared to 2024, a new study reveals.
The United States remained the largest travel and tourism market in the world in 2025, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) latest economic impact research, but international visitor spending fell 4.6 percent to $176 billion.
Furthermore, while some overseas markets grew by 1.7 million visits, this was outweighed by arrivals from other countries shrinking by 5.7 million, leading to an overall decline of around four million.
This downward trend was largely driven by Canada, with 4.2 million fewer Canadians heading south to the U.S. for vacations.
Germany was the second-biggest decline driver, with 225,000 fewer visits. Other significant drops were linked to India (down 130,000) and France (down 116,000).
The concern for the U.S., the WTTC points out, is that 2025 was a bumper year for travel, with 80 million more people traveling internationally compared to the year before, which means tourists were actively choosing to go elsewhere.
The WTTC highlights that the U.S. “is now at a crossroads in its tourism development,” because it has a tainted image as a destination and could lose its leadership position to China, the second largest market in the world and one that’s rapidly gaining ground.
Travel and tourism there contributed $1.75 trillion to GDP in 2025, growing 9.9 percent year on year and supporting 84.6 million jobs (up two percent). International visitor spending was up 10.5 percent to $135 billion, according to the WTTC.
It added: “This momentum reflects the broader strength of Asia-Pacific, now the fastest-growing travel and tourism region globally.”
There were around 150 million inbound visitors to China in 2025, versus 68 million to the U.S.
Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of WTTC, said the U.S. must change how travelers perceive it, and use the World Cup, which will bring 1.24 million international visitors, to its advantage.
She said: “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.”
In 2025, the travel and tourism sector in the U.S. supported 20.4 million jobs, up 242,000, or 1.2 percent, year on year.
This is a positive signal for the sector, the WTTC stressed, with the World Cup a chance to build on that platform and convert visitors into promoters of U.S. tourism.
Jason Wynn, CEO of Chase Travel, which led the research, said: “With the U.S. set to host a series of global events through 2028, we have an extraordinary opportunity to welcome new visitors and bring travelers from around the world closer together, fostering meaningful connections across countries and communities.”
When asked about dwindling international visitors, Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told The Independent: “President Trump has done more for American tourism than anyone, including by making our cities safe and beautiful again for all to enjoy and bringing major events like the Los Angeles Olympics and Fifa World Cup to the United States.
“His America First agenda has restored our country’s place as the leader of the free world once again – making it the best place to live or visit.”
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