New York City Predicted Record Tourism. Then Came Trump

The city's tourism agency revised its 2025 forecast, with an estimated decline driven by fewer travelers

- MATTHEW HAAG

New York City is expected to welcome 400,000 fewer tourists this year than it did in 2024, a decline primarily driven by negative sentiment toward the United States from foreign travelers who have canceled their vacations.

The city's tourism agency, New York City Tourism and Conventions, had approached 2025 with optimism after the pandemic disrupted travel a few years ago and had projected a full recovery this year with a record number of visitors. The agency has now twice revised its initial forecast of 67.6 million visitors—international and domestic—since President Trump initiated a trade war on allies, mused about annexing other countries, and implemented an immigration crackdown that resulted in the detentions of foreign tourists.

The latest forecast now estimates that 67.6 million tourists will visit the city this year. This includes 400,000 more domestic travelers than last year, but significantly fewer foreign travelers.

The new forecast sees 12.1 million international travelers, a 17% drop from earlier 2025 projections. The decline has been led by a drop-off in tourism from Canada, whose citizens have boycotted travel to the United States over concerns about the threat of making their country a hostile state.

International travel to the United States from other parts of the world has also been down so far, but New York City has seen an increase in Canadian tourists. Travel analysts suggest that continued economic uncertainty could scramble travel plans for tourists from the rest of the world.