Speaking at WTM London on Tuesday (4 November), Dave Goodger, Tourism Economics managing director, EMEA, argued that travellers outside the US have been put off from flying to the country this year and linked the tariffs imposed by US president Donald Trump earlier this year to the ongoing slump.
Tariffs are taxes on imported goods which are paid to the government by companies bringing the foreign products into the country.
Goodger revealed top line details from the WTM Global Travel Report 2025, which showed international visitor numbers to the US are expected to remain around 15% below 2019 levels this year.
A drop-off in visits from Canada is a key contributor reflecting "continued political tensions between the two countries and deteriorating sentiment among Canadians towards their southern neighbour", the report added.
Canadian visitor numbers are expected to fall by 20% this year relative to 2024.
Goodger later told TTG: "They are closing the borders for trade but people are seeing that as they're closing the borders for travel."
On the number of British visitors to the US, Goodger added: "British travellers are up slightly this year but not as much as other markets. There were points this year when British numbers were down."
Geopolitical tensions a factor
The report highlighted how next summer's Fifa World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics "will provide support for both domestic and international tourism demand, and may help to unlock additional growth beyond the subdued baseline outlook, and especially for host cities."
Around 56% of respondents – mainly Chinese travellers, Generation Z and higher income holidaymakers – said that they are interested in travelling to new destinations.
According to the report, conflicts involving Israel, Iran and others in the Middle East have seen geopolitical tensions "remain elevated but impacts on travel have not yet significantly extended beyond those directly involved".
It added that international leisure arrivals to the Middle East have grown almost 20% relative to 2019, and spending by these visitors has more than doubled.
