Travel to the US tumbled 3.1% in July — the latest in a slew of monthly declines as the Trump administration imposes strict curbs on travel and pursues tough negotiations on trade.
The most recent drop was fueled by a steep pullback from Germany, China and Switzerland, which were down 14.7%, 13.8% and 12.7% respectively, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office, a government agency that works with the Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection.
The latest data does not include travel from Canada and Mexico, the two largest feeder markets to the US, but lately both have seen steep drops.
Canadians in particular have been canceling trips to the US, offended by President Trump’s suggestion that they be annexed to the US as the 51st state.
In June, flights from Canada were down 22% and car crossings were down 33%, according to a report by travel trade publication Skift.
April represents the only exception to the downward trend, possibly because Easter fell in April instead of March. Overseas visitors increased 0.4% in April, but have been down since then.
Among the top 20 countries, six increased their travel to the US in July, including Japan by 9.1%, Dominican Republic, by 7.3%, Spain by 6.7% Italy, by 6.3%, Israel by 6.1% and Ireland up by 2.9%, according to NTTO.
Spending on promoting the US as a destination was decimated after the the “Big Beautiful Bill” was passed in April.
Brand USA, a public-private partnership that promotes travel here, saw its federal funds cut by 80% this year.
International travelers are especially coveted because they spend more and stay longer.
Every 40 international visit supports one US job, according to NTTO.
Last week, the largest hotel company in the world, Marriott International, cut its full year forecast for revenue and profits on slowing travel demand for its properties in the US.
