A bright billboard on a major highway connecting Toronto to New York conveyed a warm message to Canadian travelers this summer: “Buffalo Loves Canada.”
This marketing initiative, which featured a giveaway of a $500 gift card, aimed to assure Canadian visitors that they were valued and missed in Buffalo.
Initially, the campaign seemed promising, with over 1,000 participants entering the giveaway. However, by the end of July, it became evident that the influx of Canadian tourists Buffalo typically relied on during summer months was absent this year.
The plight of Buffalo’s tourism illustrates a broader decline in international tourism in the United States, a trend that analysts warn may continue for an extended period.
From small border towns to major attractions in cities like Las Vegas and Los Angeles, numerous tourist destinations reported a significant decrease in foreign visitors this summer.
Experts and local representatives attribute this trend, which began surfacing in February, to the return of President Donald Trump to the White House.
They cite his aggressive tariffs, stringent immigration policies, and controversial remarks about acquiring Canada and Greenland as factors that might have turned international travelers away from the U.S.
Patrick Kaler, the CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, expressed disappointment at the drastic decline in tourist traffic, stating, “To see the traffic drop off so significantly, especially because of rhetoric that can be changed, is so disheartening.”
The World Travel & Tourism Council highlighted predictions that the U.S. would be the only country among 184 studied to experience a decline in foreign visitor spending by 2025.
Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the council, remarked that the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction while other nations are inviting visitors with open arms.
“The world’s biggest travel and tourism economy is heading in the wrong direction,” Simpson said. “While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the ‘closed’ sign.”
Tourism Economics, a travel research firm, recently downgraded its forecast for international arrivals to the U.S., now predicting an 8.2% decrease in 2025, an improvement from an earlier estimate of a 9.4% drop, but still significantly below pre-pandemic levels.
The firm suggested that the effects of negative sentiment have been pronounced, with airline bookings reflecting a continued slowdown in inbound travel during the summer months.
Deborah Friedland, managing director at Eisner Advisory Group, warned that the U.S. travel industry is facing multiple challenges, including higher travel costs, political turmoil, and ongoing geopolitical strife.
Since President Trump resumed office, he has reinstated some of the strict policies that characterized his initial term, including a travel ban targeting specific African and Middle Eastern nations, increased restrictions on visa approvals, and intensified immigration enforcement.
The push for tariffs on foreign goods has also contributed to a negative perception of the U.S. as an unwelcoming destination for tourists.
“Perception is reality,” Friedland stated, highlighting the significant impact of public sentiment on international travel.
One example of this perceived unwelcomeness can be found in the decision by organizers of an international swing dancing event to postpone their gathering, originally scheduled for September in New York City.
Tena Morales, the event co-producer, noted that international participants began withdrawing from the competition after sensing an atmosphere of hostility towards foreigners.
Typically, half of the attendees of the International Lindy Hop Championships come from outside the U.S., particularly Canada and France.
Morales suggested the competition might be relocated to another country until Trump’s presidency concludes, saying, “The climate is still the same and what we’re hearing is still the same, that (dancers) don’t want to come here.”
In Washington, D.C., the impact of the current political climate was also palpable.
Local tourism officials projected a 5.1% decrease in international visitors for the year, prompting Destination DC to initiate a campaign aimed at countering negative perceptions of the city and showcasing the personal experiences of its residents.
According to U.S. government statistics, there has been a notable drop in international arrivals over the first seven months of the year, with over 3 million fewer overseas visitors compared to the previous year, a decline of 1.6%.
Western Europe saw a reduction of 2.3% in tourists, with specific decreases in visitors from Denmark, Germany, and France.
Similarly, data from Asia indicated double-digit drops in arrivals from countries including Hong Kong, Indonesia, and the Philippines, while travelers from various nations in Africa have also shown decreased interest in visiting the U.S.
Contrastingly, certain countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Italy, and Japan, reported an increase in the number of visitors to the U.S.
Despite the overall downturn in international tourism, not all U.S. destinations experienced a sluggish season.
In eastern Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula, local businesses thrived as loyal Midwest visitors helped to rejuvenate the tourism industry following a slow start to the season, according to spokesperson Jon Jarosh.
By midsummer, foot traffic surged, leading to busy sidewalks and crowded restaurants.
Major U.S. airline executives noted that American travelers booking premium flights contributed to a surge in international travel. Domestic flight demand is also seeing an upswing after a lackluster early 2025.
The Federal Aviation Administration prepared for one of the busiest Labor Day weekends in 15 years, reporting a 2% rise in bookings compared to the previous year.
As summer concluded, the absence of Canadian visitors in Buffalo was still glaring, according to Kaler from Visit Buffalo Niagara.
Last year, Canadian residents topped the list with over 20.2 million visitors traveling to the U.S., a number that has significantly dwindled this year.
In a notable shift, more U.S. residents traveled to Canada in June and July than Canadians who made their way to the U.S., marking the first such occurrence in nearly two decades, aside from a few months during the pandemic.
Statistics Canada revealed that in July alone, car trips back to Canada from the U.S. dropped by 37%, while air travel declined by 26% year-on-year.
In response to the decline in Canadian visitors, Visit Buffalo Niagara has redirected its marketing efforts toward cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, while youth sporting events have emerged to fill the gap left by the absence of international tourists.
Kaler expressed hope, stating, “We will always welcome Canadians back when the time is right. I don’t want Canadians to feel like we see them as just dollar signs or a transaction at our cash registers. They mean more to us than that.”
image source from：abcnews
