Strengthened border controls in the United States are deterring tourists and causing visitor numbers to plummet.
Latest statistics from the US tourism industry reveal that in the first seven months of 2025, the number of tourists visiting America decreased by 3 million compared to the same period in 2024. Canadian visitors showed the most significant decline, despite Canada historically being the largest source of tourists to the United States.
The decreasing tourist numbers are also evident from queue situations at major US airports and popular tourist destinations, where the previously common long waiting lines have notably diminished.
The World Travel & Tourism Council indicates that among major tourist destinations, the United States will be the only country experiencing a decline in foreign tourist spending in 2025. This situation is expected to result in losses of $12.5 billion for America.
Las Vegas, Nevada, is particularly sensitive to tourism fluctuations. Known as a tourist city famous for its casinos, stage performances, and relaxed regulations, official Las Vegas data shows that in June 2025, local tourist arrivals dropped by 11.3% compared to the same period in 2024, representing 400,000 fewer visitors. Airport operational data confirms this trend, with passenger throughput in June 2025 declining by 6.3% compared to June 2024.
A Las Vegas resident recently posted a video claiming never to have seen America's eighth busiest airport so empty. "I haven't seen anyone since I parked. This is really strange."
Tourism industry insiders point directly to the key factor behind this unusual "deserted landscape" - President Trump.
As early as March, the World Travel & Tourism Council had already warned that US tourism was "going to get worse."
"As the world's largest tourism economy, the United States is moving in the wrong direction. Other countries are rolling out welcome carpets for tourists, while the US government has put up 'no visitors' signs," said Julia Simpson, the association's president.
According to Al Jazeera, the Trump administration's immigration policies have caused widespread panic among foreign tourists, with visitor numbers declining largely due to concerns about falling into immigration enforcement traps.
"Everyone is scared and panicked, partly because of immigration enforcement issues, and there are also many political factors," said a Brazilian tourist visiting Washington, D.C.
Such concerns among tourists are understandable. According to multiple media reports, many people have been inexplicably arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as illegal immigrants, then sent to extremely harsh prisons in El Salvador and held for extended periods without trial. Colombian President Petro has directly described this detention facility as a "concentration camp."
More worryingly, ICE's criteria for identifying illegal immigrants reportedly include having skin that isn't white enough and poor English proficiency. For many foreign tourists, these two criteria are easily "met," creating constant risk during travel.
Furthermore, the process of entering the United States itself is complicated.
According to The Guardian, in March, a French scientist was directly denied entry after US authorities searched his phone and found he had criticized Trump. In June, an Australian writer was similarly denied entry after detention, revealing that border personnel initially questioned him about articles supporting Palestinian protest activities and later even checked the most private photos on his phone.
Additionally, tourists from Germany, Britain, and other European countries have repeatedly faced detention and deportation.
Customs data also confirms the tightening of entry inspections. In the third quarter of 2025, US Customs significantly increased searches of electronic devices, with increases exceeding any quarter since 2018.
Beyond various difficulties and inconveniences, tourists may even face risks of wrongful detention, making travel to America no longer a "priority," with people only able to "avoid what they cannot afford to provoke."
The US government seems to still consider there are too many tourists. Starting October 1, the United States will impose a $250 "visa integrity fee" on visitors from non-visa waiver countries. This fee will bring total visa costs to $442, among the highest globally.
The Hill points out that the tourism industry typically declines due to market reasons, such as the emergence of new, better tourist destinations. Companies can respond by offering more attractive tourism products. However, when governments use administrative power to drastically shrink the tourism industry overnight, rational planning becomes impossible.
From this perspective, even more difficult days lie ahead for the US tourism industry.
Comments