Not even the World Cup can offset massive losses in tourists to the US | CNN

There’s no sugarcoating it. The complete 2025 data is in, and the message is clear: International visitors stayed away from the US in the first real year-over-year decline since the Covid-19 pandemic. The drop in visitors was larger than during the global recession of 2008. This time, it wasn’t a pandemic or a collapse of the market — it was human error. Travelers cite presidential rhetoric and policies manifesting in highly public wars — both figurative and literal — as some of the reasons for staying away. Four million fewer foreign visitors came to the US in 2025 compared to 2024, with total spending decreasing by more than $8 billion. That’s not just bad for those working in the service and tourism industries. The impact of a self-inflicted decrease in international visitors of this magnitude has implications on America’s standing in the world, its soft power diplomacy and the economy as a whole. CNN first reported worrying trends last August that have manifested in a 5.5% drop in international tourism in 2025. It’s the worst single-year decline in two decades, with the exception of the 2020 pandemic. “We used to be a country that others wanted to emulate. Tha