US on track to lose $16b in travel revenue this year

Travellers shifting their behaviour as a result of 'America First' rhetoric and policy

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NEW YORK - The United States is on track for a very bad tourism year.

According to new data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), shared exclusively with Bloomberg, the country is set to lose US$12.5 billion (S$16.3 billion) in travel revenue in 2025, with visitor spending estimated to fall under US$169 billion by year end.

The numbers represent a drop of around 7 per cent in visitor spending year on year, and a decline of 22 per cent since tourism reached its peak in the US in 2019.

This puts the US in a league of its own. Out of 184 global economies analysed by WTTC in conjunction with Oxford Economics, it is the only one projected to lose tourism dollars this year.

"Other countries are really rolling out the welcome mat, and it feels like the US is putting up a 'we are closed' sign at their doorway," said WTTC president and chief executive Julia Simpson.

The consequences, Ms Simpson said, could be devastating.

"The US travel and tourism sector is the biggest sector globally compared to any other country, worth almost US$2.6 trillion," she said, citing WTTC and Oxford Economics data.