What does the slowdown in international travel mean for the United States

St. Mary's in Michigan, USA is an economically prosperous small town, thanks to tourists from its northern city of Ontario, Canada. The United States and Canada face each other across the St. Mary's River and are connected by the St. Mary's International Bridge, which is crossed by thousands of cars every month. But with the US launching a trade war against Canada in recent months, as well as reports of US immigration authorities detaining travelers at the Canadian border and President Trump's threat of annexation, the divide between these two neighboring countries is widening as fewer Canadians head south to the US.

Firstly, according to the St. Mary's International Bridge Authority, passenger vehicle traffic in April decreased by 44% compared to the same period last year. Although the decrease in bridge traffic may not make much sense from the perspective of Canada's second largest province and most popular tourist destination, it is undoubtedly a big problem for this historic Michigan town.

Secondly, Saint Mary's is not the only city that is concerned about the tourism industry. Despite the expected record high number of tourists on Memorial Day weekend, there has been a noticeable decrease in international travelers at travel checkpoints in the United States in recent months. According to data from the American Tourist Association, the number of international tourists visiting the United States in March decreased by 14% compared to the same period last year. According to a study by the tourism economics department of investment consulting firm Oxford Economics, the number of Canadian tourists has experienced the largest decline, reaching 20.2%. Earlier this year, after Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Canadian goods, former Prime Minister Trudeau urged Canadians not to travel to the United States for vacation. According to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, Canada was the largest source of inbound tourists to the United States last year, so the decline in the number of Canadian tourists is a significant change.

Simply put, as for the overall slowdown in international tourism in the United States, experts point out that the Trump administration has tightened immigration policies, the US dollar has strengthened, and visa waiting times are too long. Radical tariff policies have also had a negative impact on many tourists. Alan Ryan, head of industry research in tourism economics, said, "Changes in sentiment and perception towards the United States are expected to continue to have a significant impact on tourism demand." The research firm stated that as of April, flight bookings to the United States from May to July had decreased by 10.8% compared to the same period last year. The company predicts that the number of international tourists will decrease by 8.7% by 2025.

Furthermore, the slowdown in international tourism may undermine the stability of the US tourism industry, which plays a crucial role in supporting the US economy. A spokesperson for the American Tourist Association told CBS MoneyWatch, "From an economic perspective, international inbound tourism is very important, with an average cost of $4000 per visit for tourists coming to the United States." The World Travel and Tourism Council predicts that international tourist spending in the United States this year will decrease from $181 billion in 2024 to $169 billion, a decrease of 7%. This is 22.5% lower than the peak tourism consumption of 217 billion US dollars in 2019 before the outbreak of the epidemic. The decrease in international tourists may also have an impact on the labor force supporting the US tourism industry: according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, nearly 10% of US jobs are related to the tourism industry.

Currently, with the decline of international tourism, local communities such as Flagstaff in Arizona are turning their attention to domestic tourists. Although Flagstaff has a wide international appeal, the start of the peak tourist season is relatively slow. According to Tress Ward, Director of the Flagstaff Conference and Tourism Bureau, the number of international tourists in Flagstaff has decreased by 15% to 20% year-on-year. The tourism bureau is looking for ways to attract more American tourists.

Overall, the decline in international inbound travelers to the United States may appear to be an economic loss for the tourism industry, but it is actually a signal of a decline in the country's "soft power". In the past, people from all over the world were willing to travel to the United States not just for scenery and shopping, but out of a sense of identity and longing for America. Now, even the number of tourists from traditional allies such as Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe is decreasing, indicating that this sense of identity is wavering.