International travel to the U.S. continues to slump, but the impact on the travel and hospitality industry is being cushioned by an increase in domestic travel.
JustFly.com recently reported a 160 percent surge in U.S. domestic travel interest for summer 2026, with Communications Director Ayoub Hissar noting a trend towards shorter, more frequent domestic trips.
Domestic Demand Rises, Inbound Travel Lags
Top destination searches on the site include Orlando and Las Vegas; the company noted a 200 percent year-over-year increase in travelers’ searches for Washington, D.C., as well. The uptick occurred even as inbound travel to the U.S. continued to fall in the first quarter of 2026.
“International inbound arrivals declined 4.2 percent, a steeper drop than in December,” reported the U.S. Travel Association on March 2. “Softness in overseas visitation continues and remains below pre-pandemic levels across many key markets. Economically, this has resulted in a decrease in U.S. travel exports and a travel trade deficit of $72 billion for 2025.”
Recent tourism data released by New York City Tourism and Conventions highlights the trends. The agency reported that 400,000 fewer international visitors came to New York in 2025. Visits by Canadians were notably lower, falling 19 percent between 2024 and 2025.
Julie Coker, President and CEO of New York City Tourism and Conventions, termed the overall outlook for the city’s tourism industry as “resilient despite global challenges.”
At the same time, however, more Americans visited the city last year—enough to make up for the drop-off in international visitors. Total visitation to the city for 2025 was up 0.7 percent compared to 2024, and the 65 million people who came spent 4 percent more than those who visited the previous year.
“New York City’s domestic visitor market saw accelerated growth in 2025, as domestic travel remains the backbone of the tourism industry nationwide,” said Charles Flateman, Board Chair of New York City Tourism + Conventions and Executive VP of The Shubert Organization. “Next year, we expect domestic travel to surpass record 2019 levels, signaling a major milestone and emphasizing the strength of our regional drive markets.”
Officials held out hope that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will include matches in the region, would help boost international visitor numbers later this year.
