International arrivals remain below 2025 levels despite a World Cup boost in June. Western European visits have declined, raising concerns about the United States’ appeal to overseas travelers.
International tourism to the United States continues to face challenges, with the latest figures showing a decline in overseas visitors despite expectations that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would help attract more travelers.
According to the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), overseas arrivals from countries other than Canada and Mexico were down 5.7% year over year as of the end of September 2026.
Western Europe, the largest overseas tourism market for the United States, recorded an 8.7% decline in arrivals so far this year. In September, visitors from the United Kingdom accounted for 352,084 of the 2,703,912 overseas arrivals reported.
Visitor Numbers Fell in 2025
The latest decline follows a difficult year for the U.S. tourism industry. The country welcomed more than 72 million international visitors in 2024, but that figure fell to approximately 68 million in 2025, according to an analysis of NTTO data.
The decline marked the first annual drop in international arrivals since the COVID-19 pandemic recovery period. Foreign visitor spending also fell by more than $8 billion in 2025 compared with the previous year.
The United States has yet to return to its pre-pandemic tourism peak, when international arrivals exceeded 79 million annually.
World Cup Offers a Boost, but Recovery Remains Uncertain
The 2026 FIFA World Cup was expected to help reverse the downward trend. The NTTO forecast that international arrivals would increase by 3.2% in 2026, reaching 70.5 million visitors.
During June, when the football tournament was underway, international arrivals reached 5.4 million, a 2.7% increase compared with June 2025.
However, the overall decline reported through September suggests that the tournament’s early boost has not yet translated into sustained growth across overseas markets.
Tourism Leaders Call for a More Welcoming Image
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) said in April 2026 that, although the United States remained the world’s largest travel and tourism market in 2025, the country was at a crossroads in its tourism development.
WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara called for greater investment in promoting the United States internationally, improving perceptions of the country as a welcoming destination, and encouraging visitors to spend more and explore additional destinations.
“The United States remains the largest Travel & Tourism market in the world and has an amazing foundation,” Guevara said.
She added that maintaining this position would require stronger international promotion, a more welcoming image and efforts to encourage longer stays and new travel experiences.
As the United States continues hosting major international events, the coming months will help determine whether the World Cup can contribute to a lasting recovery or whether declining arrivals from key overseas markets will remain a challenge for the tourism industry.
