US overseas tourist arrivals continue to decline in June

Preliminary data from the US government reveals that overseas tourist arrivals to the US continued to decline in June 2025, which some commentators are attributing to a mix of geopolitical tensions, economic challenges, and a diminished perception of the country among international travellers.

According to figures from the National Travel and Tourism Office, inbound visits from overseas markets (excluding Canada and Mexico), dropped by 3.4% year on year, with 2.8 million travellers recorded in June. This represents just 80% of the arrivals seen in June 2019.

Scandinavian markets experience sharp declines

Among the top 20 inbound markets, 11 reported decreases in arrivals. Notably, Ecuador (-14.1%), South Korea (-10.7%), and Australia (-10.2%) experienced the steepest drops. Western Europe, a traditionally strong region for US tourism, also saw a 2.5% decline.

Scandinavian countries faced particularly severe losses, with all four – Denmark (-17.8%), Norway (-13.9%), Sweden (-12.8%), and Finland (-12.7%) – registering double-digit percentage falls. Denmark’s downturn aligns with recent political tensions related to Greenland.

Other major European markets such as the UK (-1.1%), Germany (-3.7%), France (-5.5%), and Poland (-3.8%) also saw fewer visitors. However, arrivals from Italy (+3.4%) and Spain (+2.1%) showed modest growth, helping offset some of Europe’s overall weakness.

Latin America shows strong resilience

In contrast, Latin American inbound markets demonstrated notable resilience. Central America recorded a 6.8% increase in arrivals, while South America was up 2.1%. Argentina (+15.6%) and Brazil (+18.6%) were standout performers among South American countries.

Meanwhile, Asia experienced a 6.9% decline overall, with significant double-digit drops in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Vietnam. Major markets India and China fell by 8.1% and 8.3% respectively.

Visitors from the Middle East also declined sharply, down 15.6%, though Egypt was an exception, posting a 2.4% increase in arrivals.

Outlook

For the first half of 2025, the US welcomed 15.92 million overseas visitors, a 1.2% decline compared with the same period last year. Industry forecasts suggest the downward trend may persist throughout the remainder of 2025 amid ongoing global uncertainties.