Tourism Trends: Where Are Travelers Heading in 2025?

In 2025, the United States saw a decline in foreign visitors, with a 6% drop in tourist arrivals. This happened even though people around the world spent more on travel. Global tourism spending went up by 6. 7% compared to the previous year. Over 1. 5 billion tourists spent a whopping $11. 7 trillion on hotels, cruises, and flights. The tourism industry is a big deal. It makes up 10. 3% of the world's economy. In fact, tourism spending grew twice as fast as the global economy. Many people, especially younger ones, are traveling more often. But some factors, like U. S. policies, pushed tourists to choose other destinations like Spain, France, and Japan instead.Latin American travelers, including those from Colombia and Mexico, visited the U. S. less. Mexicans who did go to the U. S. stayed for shorter trips. As foreign tourism in the U. S. dipped, spending by foreign tourists also fell by 7%. This was due to fewer arrivals from Canada, Mexico, and Europe. However, domestic tourism in the U. S. helped balance things out. The U. S. remains the world's largest travel and tourism economy. Despite some backlash from locals in popular tourist spots, the industry keeps growing. For example, Europe and Japan, which have issues with too many tourists, still saw record numbers of visitors. Looking ahead, the global tourism industry is expected to grow by 4. 5% in 2026. This growth is projected to outpace the global economy again. In 2025, France welcomed 105 million visitors, and Spain saw over 96. 5 million tourists. In comparison, the U. S. had 68 million foreign visitors.