International inbound travel to U.S. shows mixed recovery

Canadian travel dropped sharply in the first half of 2025, according to numbers by U.S. Travel Association.

Visits from Canada dropped by nearly 19% over the same time period last year, dragging overall international visits lower by 3.4%.

That equates to a decline of $1.9 billion in travel spending. June was especially rough, with Canadian visitation down more than 26%, the association said. 

The punch to the travel and tourism industry was mitigated by a noticeable increase in visitors from Mexico. The month of June and the first half of the year saw notable increases of 14.8% and 12.5%, respectively, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Those 940,000 visits from Mexican travelers equated to just shy of half a billion in travel spending. 

“This initial look at first-half 2025 data shows that while travel continues to be a priority, broader economic concerns remain on consumers’ minds. Amid a rapidly evolving global environment, international visits to the U.S. have been resilient across most markets—with the notable exception of Canada, our largest inbound source,” the U.S. Travel Association said in an email to CNBC.

Major travel companies Hilton, Wyndham and Travel and Leisure, which have been closely watching the change in visitors, are all reporting earnings next week.

Las Vegas is also reporting a decline in international visitors from Mexico and Canada, which may show up in results for casinos like Caesars, MGM, Boyd and Red Rock Resorts.

The travel industry has been concerned about a big cut in President Donald Trump‘s tax-and-spending law that slashes spending on marketing and promotion of U.S. destinations overseas, and increases fees for travel visas, which may be especially problematic ahead of the World Cup next year.

— CNBC’s Dawn Giel contributed to this report.