#us-tourism

#us-tourism

"The influx of visitors will likely generate billions of dollars in economic activity, benefiting the hospitality, transportation, and retail sectors. Host city hotels anticipate record occupancy, and local businesses will benefit from increased visitor traffic."

And yet, the U.S. tourism industry is worried. While the rest of the world saw a travel bump in 2025, with global international arrivals up 4%, the U.S. saw a downturn. The number of foreign tourists who came to the United States fell by 5.4% during the year-a sharper decline than the one experienced in 2017-18, the last time, outside the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, that the industry was gripped by fears of a travel slump.

When the 2026 FIFA World Cup arrives in North America, it will be one of the largest travel moments in modern history. The expanded 48-team tournament will bring matches to cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico -and with them, millions of international fans booking flights, reserving hotel rooms, and building itineraries around match days. For the US, that translates to a massive tourism surge: millions of visitors converging on 11 cities from New York and Miami to Los Angeles and Seattle.

If you are reading this from outside the U.S., you may have already seen the videos. Clouds rolling over the Grand Canyon. Kids screaming down roller coasters. Snowboarders gliding through white forests. America's latest tourism campaign, "America the Beautiful," is out, and it is selling the American dream. But will tourists buy it? According to a May 2025 report from the World Travel and Tourism Council,

The decline in international tourism to the US can be connected to political and economic instability, as evidenced by a reported 11.6% decrease in overseas visits.