- Trump met with major travel company executives on Wednesday, including representatives from American Airlines, Marriott, MGM Resorts, and Carnival, to discuss ways to reverse a decline in international visitors.
- U.S. Travel Association President Geoff Freeman stated that the group aims to boost foreign visitors to 100 million annually.
- International arrivals to the U.S. have declined due to factors such as visa wait times, higher ticket prices, stricter policies, and travel restrictions.
- The Trump administration imposed bonds for visitors from 50 countries, resulting in an 80% decline in arrivals from those countries.
- Visitors from Canada fell 20% last year due to tariffs and annexation comments.
- Travel spending rose 6.2% year-over-year in June to $122.1 billion, marking its strongest monthly reading in a year.
- FIFA reported its best-ever attendance at this summer's tournament, which Trump described as a big economic boost to U.S. host cities.
- International arrivals to the U.S. have been negatively impacted by lengthy visa interview wait times, higher airline ticket prices, and stricter policies.
- The Trump administration's bond requirement for visitors from 50 countries has led to an 80% decline in arrivals from those nations.
- Canadian visitors to the U.S. decreased by 20% last year, largely due to tariffs and Trump's comments regarding annexation.
President Trump convened travel industry leaders on Wednesday, including executives from American Airlines and Marriott, to strategize on reversing a decline in international visitors. The U.S. Travel Association aims to increase foreign visitors to 100 million annually, a significant rise from 68 million in 2025, which saw a 5.5% drop from the previous year.2
Despite a 6.2% increase in travel spending in June, reaching $122.1 billion, international arrivals have continued to decline, with a 4.7% drop reported through July 2026, according to the Commerce Department. Geoff Freeman, President of the U.S. Travel Association, emphasized the need to make the U.S. the world's most visited destination, citing France's record of 102 million foreign tourists in 2025.368
Freeman pointed to several challenges affecting international travel, including lengthy visa interview wait times, rising airline ticket prices, and stricter policies. He specifically criticized the Trump administration's bond requirement for visitors from 50 countries, which has led to an 80% decline in arrivals from those nations. "We cannot get to 100 million travelers with a bond program that would discourage travelers," Freeman stated, highlighting the urgency of addressing these barriers to boost tourism.49
“Travel spending rose 6.2% year-over-year in June to $122.1 billion, its strongest monthly reading in a year, and FIFA reported its best-ever attendance this summer. However, overseas visitors are down 4.7% through July 2026, and a bond program for 50 countries has cut arrivals from those nations by 80%.”
