Despite record growth in global travel, the United States is losing market share due to fewer international travelers choosing to visit.
Soaring travel prices have become the norm, and airlines’ checked baggage fees are rising.
Major U.S. airlines are raising checked baggage fees again, and travelers may need to adapt new strategies to avoid additional costs.
- Despite an increase in global tourism, the United States is losing market share of international travelers, according to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council.
- The study found that North America will be the slowest growing tourism market in 2025, while Asia-Pacific will see significant growth.
Even as more people worldwide travel abroad, new data shows the United States is losing its position as a top destination.
Last year was one of the best years for the travel and tourism sector, with gross domestic product (GDP) growth increasing by 4.1%, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) latest economic impact study sponsored by Chase Travel.
There were 80 million more international travelers in 2025 than in 2024. However, many of them skip the United States and head to other regions.
According to WTTC research, North America will be the world’s slowest growing market in 2025, with the US growing at less than 1%. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific region jumped 8.2% in 2025.
“The United States is losing market share, and if China continues its own rapid growth, it could replace the United States as the world’s largest tourism market within four years,” WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara told USA TODAY. “The United States can maintain its leadership position by increasing investment and overseas promotion, rebuilding international demand, and changing perceptions with a warm welcome at the border.”
Increased surveillance at the U.S. border and reports of detentions and deportations in early 2025 had a chilling effect on international visitors, causing them to reconsider traveling to the U.S., according to Commerce Department’s National Travel and Tourism Organization (NTTO) foreign arrivals figures comparing March 2024 and 2025. Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Finland also warned their citizens of the potential risks of attempting to enter the United States.
Recent data from NTTO also showed a 20% decline, or 4.2 million fewer visitors, in Canada, once a major U.S. market.
A previous report from USA TODAY identified several reasons why international travelers don’t transit through the United States. These include fears of border detention and gun violence.
Travel is one of the United States’ largest export services, so a decline in international visitors could cause problems for the U.S. economy.
Travel is a pillar of the economy
Travel plays an important role in the U.S. economy. In 2025, tourist spending will support 15 million jobs in the United States and generate a record $3 trillion in economic output, according to a new report from the U.S. Travel Association. This figure corresponds to 2.4% of the country’s GDP.
Domestic travel accounted for the bulk of that revenue, accounting for 87% of U.S. travel spending in 2025, according to the report. Domestic leisure and business both performed well.
Meanwhile, international visitors fell by 2.3% and chose other locations instead.
“Americans are the backbone of the travel economy, but international travelers, who spend up to eight times as much on a single trip, represent our most valuable growth opportunity,” Jeff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said in a statement. “But it’s the only major tourist destination in the world where tourism numbers are declining. That’s a problem we have to solve.”
The WTTC findings were similar. Spending by domestic travelers increased by 14.3% last year compared to pre-pandemic levels, while spending by international travelers fell by 4.6%.
But as a co-host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to attract an estimated 1.24 million foreign tourists, the United States has an opportunity to reestablish its appeal as a global destination.
“The United States is in a strong position to challenge perceptions, invest more in promoting our country’s international tourism, and roll out our advanced Global Entry System more broadly,” Guevara explained.
