US tourism plummets as allies shun visits amid Trump’s tariff wars
International arrivals to the United States have fallen sharply, with Canadian visitors down 23% and European travelers down mid-teens, putting the country on track for about 2 million fewer tourists than the previous year.
Tourism officials report that the United States is on pace to receive about 2 million fewer international visitors than the year before, a decline of roughly 20% from the 2019 high. Canadian arrivals have dropped 23% over two years, with mobile-tracking data suggesting a 42% fall to major U.S. cities in the last year, while German and French visits are down about 12% and 7% respectively. The slump follows a brutal 2025 season that saw a 5.5% year-over-year drop and a loss of more than $8 billion in visitor spending.
President Donald Trump’s second term has featured aggressive trade actions, including tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and autos, and threats to annex Canada as a 51st state. He has also threatened steep duties on French wine and champagne after President Emmanuel Macron opposed U.S. plans for Greenland, and warned European nations over tariffs tied to their stance on Greenland. In response to criticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump called him “totally ineffective,” and the Pentagon announced a reduction of 5,000 troops stationed in Germany.
Why it matters
The tourism decline hurts the U.S. economy and reflects worsening diplomatic ties with key allies.
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