How the world sees the United States as a tourist destination is evolving, with international arrivals down as the global community adjusts to the policies, tariffs and actions of President Donald Trump's administration.
Some travel industry members have adjusted their economic outlook, and a number of governments have responded in an official capacity. A handful of countries, including Great Britain, Finland, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands and Denmark, issued warnings in recent weeks about traveling to the U.S., with some citing instances of European travelers being detained at American borders.
Travelers are reacting, too. Data published by the National Travel and Tourism Office showed March inbound visits via air to the U.S. from other countries (not including Canada and Mexico) dropped 11.4% compared to the same period in 2024. Inbound air travel from Mexico dropped nearly 23%.
The dip comes after a February scenario analysis from Tourism Economics anticipated international visits to the U.S. would fall 12.7% below baseline in 2025, should trade wars continue and grow.
While it’s unclear how inbound travel will change in the long run, in the near term, travelers’ understanding of what it means to book a trip to the U.S. is shifting.
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“It really is incredibly difficult to say right now, what the impact actually is,” said Carroll Rheem, founder and CEO of travel consultancy Iolite Group. (She also warned that Easter being later in the 2025 calendar year could have impacted inbound travel numbers in March.)
According to Jared Alster, chief strategy officer and co-founder of travel marketing growth agency Dune7, perception is “all that matters.”
Alster cautioned that the problem the U.S. is facing when it comes to inbound travel’s decline is “in the product, not the marketing.”
“I am in the U.K. currently and have heard from multiple people that there is just an ‘unknown’ about traveling to the U.S. right now—enough that they're happy to make other decisions when it comes to summer travel,” Alster said.
But destinations have come back from challenges like this before, and both local and national destination marketing organizations (DMOs) in the U.S. may be able to help.
Chris Heywood, senior vice president of public relations and chief communications officer for Brand USA, said the organization is focused on listening, understanding and responding to traveler sentiment.
“While we don’t influence policy, we are deeply involved in inspiring and driving travel—and that impact is measurable,” Heywood said.
Brand USA’s role is to continue promoting the U.S. to international audiences and driving inbound travel, showcasing what Heywood called its “enduring appeal” as a “welcoming, diverse and dynamic” destination.
Heywood continued: “We are working closely with our global partners to proliferate positive storytelling worldwide, providing accurate, reassuring information to travelers planning their trip.”
How can a DMO address an image problem?
Plenty of destinations have dealt with shifting perceptions following large-scale events, natural disasters, economic upheavals—the list goes on.
Carl Walsh, senior vice president for the U.S.A for VisitBritain, said while DMOs are not always working to counter negative perception, they play a critical role in reframing how people see a destination.
According to Heywood, these organizations can and have helped guide destinations through tough times by maintaining connections with partners and travelers and sharing a positive narrative. He also said it’s about helping travelers reconnect with a place that’s meaningful to them or one that they care about.
Alster used Florida—specifically places like The Palm Beaches and Miami—as an example of destinations actively addressing these shifts.
“Historically, they've portrayed themselves as safe destinations for the LGBTQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer] community,” Alster said. “But with the backlash and anti-gay movements at the state level, they were caught out a bit. They really showed character by immediately coming out and saying they would continue to support the LGBTQ community despite the rhetoric at the higher levels of government.”
Internationally, he referenced Colombia, which once had a negative reputation but now has started to flourish. Alster credited their DMO, Procolombia, for the improvement, noting that the organization did a great deal of lobbying at the trade level to better educate travelers on what’s happening on the ground level.
When it comes to a situation like the one the U.S. is currently facing, Rheem said patience will be a factor.
“It's just going to take some time to normalize,” she said. “I think what's really difficult right now is just the volatility of everything and not knowing what to expect.”
According to Rheem, two things can happen from this point: Either the environment will calm down and travel will stabilize or people will become numb to ongoing volatility.
She used Canada, which she called a “sensitive market,” as an example.
Travelers from Canada are “extremely frustrated,” Rheem said, but at the same time, those travelers know that should they choose to come to the U.S. to visit their favorite places, the destinations themselves are likely unchanged.
That’s a factor that Visit California is playing up. The DMO and California Governor Gavin Newsom put out an international tourism campaign directed at Canadians, with Newsom urging travelers not to let what’s happening in the U.S. politically affect their beach plans.
But even though consumer attitudes seem drastic in the Canadian market, Rheem said she doesn't expect to see travel decline by a high percentage. And while she does predict some negative effects, she doesn’t anticipate them being extreme; people will still want to have experiences in the U.S., which will drive travel, she said.
DMOs shape destination perception
Generally speaking, it’s tough to track how much traffic comes in as a result of a DMO’s effort for its destination, those in the industry say. The same could be true when it comes to return on investment (ROI) efforts to right the ship.
What they do have control over is the creation of a positive, accurate narrative.
“DMOs do have the power and responsibility to effectively market their destination to the trade, which is more impactful and measurable,” Alster said. “I've seen this firsthand in working for years at various global tour operators.”
Whether through trade partners, media or direct-to-consumer communication, Heywood said thoughtful storytelling and relevant information can make a big difference, particularly when travelers are seeking clarification or reassurance. And that’s not just important in a marketing capacity.
“This type of communication is part of a broader responsibility … to support travel and tourism with messaging that reflects current realities while continuing to proliferate positive storytelling to inspire visitation and drive economic growth,” Heywood said.
VisitBritain’s Walsh agreed. He said his team is constantly listening, monitoring and adjusting its communications to make sure their messaging is timely, relevant and transparent.
Destination communication often includes strategies to navigate unexpected challenges—whether they relate to perception, policy changes or shifts in traveler sentiment.
Chris Heywood, Brand USA
“We also coordinate closely with government and industry partners to make sure travelers have the most up-to-date and accurate information,” Walsh said. “In moments of uncertainty, clear and credible messaging builds confidence. It’s about being present, responsive and always focused on the traveler experience.”
When something alters inbound travelers’ judgment of a destination, DMOs aren’t responsible for addressing the element that’s the root of the problem, according to Rheem. Instead, the DMO’s role is to focus on the positive—to remind people why they should want to visit a destination.
At the same time, DMOs are likely to have some level of preparation in place for a crisis situation.
“Destination communication often includes strategies to navigate unexpected challenges—whether they relate to perception, policy changes or shifts in traveler sentiment,” Heywood said.
External services can be brought in to assist with image issues as well.
“Full service PR agencies will offer this as a service to their DMO clients,” Alster said. “Agencies and destinations should develop crisis playbooks which can be executed quickly when something goes wrong, be [it] a political situation or a natural disaster.”
While that preparation may come into play in the short term following a surprise event, long-term practices are important too.
“Clear, consistent communication helps build trust over time,” Heywood said.