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- The travel trade deficit is projected to reach $70 billion in 2025, the US Travel Association said.
- The United States has historically had a travel trade surplus, but inbound travel has declined.
- The decrease has been driven primarily by a sharp decline in Canadian visitors.
A stated goal of President Donald Trump’s ambitious tariff policy was to reduce the United States’ trade deficits around the world, but at least one has ballooned this year: the travel trade deficit.
A trade deficit occurs when a country imports more goods and services than it exports. When it comes to travel, that means when Americans are spending more money on travel abroad than international visitors are spending in the United States.
According to the US Travel Association’s travel forecast released last week, the travel trade deficit for 2025 was on track to be nearly $70 billion, as international visitors have pulled back on visiting the United States.
Travel is a major export for the United States. While exports are often thought of as physical products that are shipped abroad, such as crude oil or cars, they also include services produced domestically and consumed by foreigners. For instance, a French national’s five-night stay at a hotel in New York is considered a service export, since it brings money into the country from a non-resident.
Historically, the industry has produced a trade surplus, meaning that foreigners spent more visiting the United States than Americans spent abroad on travel. But at the same time that international inbound travel has declined, the number of Americans traveling abroad has continued to increase.
In April, after international travel to the United States experienced a decline, the US Travel Association said the country was running at a $50 billion travel trade deficit, marking “a sharp reversal from our historical surplus in travel exports.” In 2022, the United States had a $3.5 billion travel trade surplus, according to data from the US Department of Commerce.
The recent US Travel Association’s travel forecast also said the number of international arrivals to the United States was expected to decline by 6.3% in 2025 compared to 2024, marking the first decline in inbound travel since 2020. Visitor spending was expected to decline by 3.2%.
The US Travel Association said the decline in visitors from Canada was the primary driver of the decrease. Some Canadians began boycotting travel to the United States earlier this year in response to Trump’s tariffs and comments about making the neighbor to the north the 51st state.
In August, the number of Canadians returning to the country from the United States by car was down nearly 34% compared to the same month a year prior, according to data from the Canadian government. United States border towns and business owners recently told Business Insider they are feeling the economic impact of fewer Canadian visitors.
There are a couple of major travel events coming up next year that could help reverse the decline in international visitors to the United States: the FIFA World Cup and celebrations for America’s 250th birthday. The US Travel Association said it expects international visitation to resume growth as a result of these events.
However, it also said the United States is at risk of further deterring international visitors due to “potential increases in visa fees, extended wait times for visa applications and renewals, and negative sentiment towards the U.S. in key markets.”
Do you have a story to share about traveling to, or avoiding travel to, the United States? Contact this reporter at [email protected].
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