White House insists Trump has 'done more for American tourism than anyone' after drop in global visitors [View all]

Source: The Independent

Friday 17 April 2026 15:18 EDT


The number of overseas visitors to the U.S. dropped by several million in 2025 compared to 2024, with the World Travel & Tourism Council advising America to make itself welcoming again. However, the White House sees the picture differently, insisting that President Donald Trump has “done more for American tourism than anyone.”

The rebuttal came after research by the council revealed that while global travel had a bumper year in 2025, with the number of international travelers up by 80 million, international visitor spending in the U.S. fell 4.6 percent to $176 billion and foreign tourist visits slid by 5.5 percent.

While some overseas markets grew by 1.7 million visits, this was outweighed by arrivals from other countries shrinking by 5.7 million, leading to an overall decline of around four million.

The council believes that the U.S. “is now at a crossroads in its tourism development,” with a tainted image as a destination and in danger of losing its crown as the world’s biggest travel and tourism market to China.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/travel/news-and-advice/white-house-donald-trump-tourism-b2960098.html