California has recorded a significant decline in international arrivals at its major ports of entry, signaling that the global community might be reconsidering visiting the state at this current moment in time.
According to data released by Visit California, the number of international arrivals of non-residents was down 11% year-over-year in March. In total, 494,952 non-resident international arrivals were recorded in March 2025 versus 556,277 in March 2024.
In 13 of Visit California’s “priority markets,” there was a 12.1% decrease year-over-year, the tourism agency said.
Among the biggest drops is Canadian visitors, which, by volume, is the biggest international market for California tourism. In March 2025, air arrivals from Canada were down 15.5% from the previous year.
Mexico also saw a sharp, dramatic decline, with 36,279 air arrivals in March, down from 47,875 that arrived in March 2024—a 24.2% decline.
In the European markets, German visitors decreased more than 26% from March 2024, and the United Kingdom declined 22% year-over-year.
The lack of interest by international tourists isn’t limited to California. A tourism report from Las Vegas reported a significant year-over-year decline in overall hotel occupancy, while airlines have said they will revisit their routes and flight schedules to match current demand.
According to the Associated Press, the U.S. tourism industry was expecting a big year from international visitors after a successful 2024 recovery year. But those hopes have seemingly been dashed, with some travelers and industry analysts pointing the finger at President Trump and his repeated clashes with long-time political allies.
Canada in particular has had a testy relationship with the president due to his repeated comments about his interest in annexing the nation’s northern neighbor. Several airline companies in Mexico have also laid blame on the president’s feet for a decline in travelers.
Bloomberg reports that any decline in international tourism could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars.
Other potential blows to U.S. tourism includes domestic travel among citizens. A recent poll showed consumers were reluctant to book international or domestic travel plans out of concern over the nation’s economy and a possible recession.
The post California sees big hit in international visitors appeared first on KTLA.
