United States Teams Up With Canada and More as Major Countries Face Falling Visitor Numbers While China Beckons Global Travellers!

The United States Teams Up With Canada and more major countries as falling visitor numbers reshape global travel. Meanwhile, China beckons global travellers with easier access and growing international appeal. As the United States, Canada and other major countries face changing visitor patterns, global travellers are watching this dramatic tourism shift closely. Moreover, China continues to beckon travellers with expanding visa-free opportunities and stronger international connectivity. Travel And Tour World examines why visitor numbers are falling across several major countries and what this means for future journeys. Therefore, global travellers should read the entire story for the latest tourism insights and travel guidance.

International Travel to the US Faces a New Tourism Challenge as Six Major Destinations See Visitor Weakness

Global tourism is entering a more competitive phase as travellers gain more choices and destinations compete for international visitors. The United States has attracted particular attention after international visitor numbers fell in 2025.

However, the US is not the only major destination showing signs of pressure.

Canada, Thailand, Ireland, Germany and Sweden also recorded declines in selected inbound tourism measures in their latest official statistics. The reasons differ significantly, ranging from geopolitical tensions and changing source markets to high travel costs, capacity constraints and difficult comparisons with exceptionally strong previous years.

At the same time, China is moving in the opposite direction. China’s National Immigration Administration reported 22.91 million inbound trips by foreign nationals during the first half of 2026, an increase of 20.4% year on year. Visa-free entries reached 17.82 million during the period.

For global travellers, these figures provide a useful guide. They show how entry policies, connectivity, affordability and visitor confidence can reshape travel flows.

Six Destinations Showing Recent Visitor Weakness

The following table summarizes the latest evidence from official statistical authorities and intergovernmental tourism research.

Destination	Latest indicator showing weakness	Latest period	Previous period	Change
United States	International tourist arrivals	2025	2024	-5.5%
Canada	Non-resident visitors	2025	2024	-0.7%
Thailand	International tourist arrivals	2025	2024	-7.23%
Ireland	Foreign overnight visitors	2025	2024	-3%
Germany	Foreign tourist accommodation nights	2025	2024	-1.8%
Sweden	International arrivals	2025	2024	-2.8%

These figures should not be treated as a perfect league table. Canada measures non-resident entries, Ireland focuses on foreign overnight visitors, while Germany’s most recent decline is measured through foreign accommodation nights. Sweden’s 2025 decline is reported in international arrival data, while its foreign accommodation nights actually increased.

That distinction matters when travellers and tourism businesses interpret international travel trends.

United States: The Sharpest Decline Among the Six

The United States recorded 68.3 million international tourist arrivals in 2025. That was 5.5% below 2024 and remained about 86% of the 2019 level, according to OECD data based on U.S. tourism statistics.

The decline is particularly notable because 2024 had produced a strong recovery.

The National Travel and Tourism Office recorded 72.39 million international visitor arrivals in 2024. That represented a 9.1% increase from 2023 and brought international visitation to 91.1% of the 2019 level.

United States international visitor arrivals	Visitors
2021	22.1 million
2022	51.8 million
2023	66.5 million
2024	72.39 million
2025	68.3 million

The 2021 figure was still heavily affected by pandemic restrictions. The NTTO recorded 22.1 million international arrivals that year, compared with 79.4 million in 2019.

The recovery accelerated sharply in 2022 and 2023. However, the 2025 reversal means the United States has not yet returned to its earlier peak.

For travellers, the most important consideration is that the US remains a huge destination despite the decline.

New York, Florida and California continue to rank among the leading destinations for overseas visitors. In 2024, New York was the most visited state among overseas travellers, followed by Florida and California.

The United States also expects a stronger future. Its government forecast had projected 77.1 million visitors for 2025 and 85 million for 2026. Actual 2025 performance subsequently came in below that forecast.

This gap between forecast and outcome makes the 2025 decline especially important.

Canada: US Visitor Weakness Creates a Major Effect

Canada recorded 29.62 million non-resident visitors entering the country in 2025. That was slightly below the 29.82 million recorded in 2024.

The decline was only around 0.7%, but the composition changed significantly.

Canada non-resident visitors	Visitors
2021	4.28 million
2022	17.92 million
2023	27.21 million
2024	29.82 million
2025	29.62 million

The United States remained Canada’s dominant source market. American visitors fell from 23.46 million in 2024 to 22.79 million in 2025.

That represented a decline of about 2.9%.

However, overseas visitors moved in the opposite direction. Visitors from countries other than the United States increased from 6.35 million to 6.83 million.

Statistics Canada linked the overall decline to several factors, including continuing political tensions between Canada and the United States. It also identified weaker US automobile arrivals as an important factor.

For travellers, this creates an interesting shift.

Canada’s traditional US visitor base weakened, while long-haul international markets became more important. Cities such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal can therefore become increasingly dependent on overseas connectivity rather than short-distance American travel.

Thailand: International Arrivals Drop After a Strong Recovery

Thailand experienced one of the clearest declines among major Asian tourism destinations.

The country welcomed approximately 32.97 million international arrivals in 2025. That was 7.23% below the 35.55 million recorded in 2024.

Thailand international arrivals	Visitors
2021	About 0.43 million
2022	11.07 million
2023	28.15 million
2024	35.55 million
2025	32.97 million

The scale of the recovery before 2025 is important.

Thailand moved from extremely low international visitation in 2021 to more than 35 million visitors in 2024. The 2025 decline therefore came after a dramatic rebound.

Monthly data show that weakness became particularly visible during the middle of 2025. Arrivals declined year on year during May, June, July, August and September.

Thailand’s tourism authorities have also been changing their strategy.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand described its 2026 approach around higher-value tourism, wellness, medical travel, sports, cruises, private aviation, nightlife and creative experiences.

For tourists, the country remains highly accessible. Thailand has expanded visa-exemption arrangements, while airline connectivity has also strengthened.

Therefore, the 2025 decline should not automatically be interpreted as a long-term loss of appeal.

Ireland: Visitor Numbers and Spending Both Weaken

Ireland recorded approximately 6.4 million foreign overnight visitors in 2025. That represented a 3% decline from 6.6 million in 2024.

The figure nevertheless remained around 2% above 2023’s 6.3 million.

Ireland foreign overnight visitors	Visitors
2021	Comparable annual visitor series unavailable
2022	Comparable annual visitor series unavailable
2023	6.3 million
2024	6.6 million
2025	6.4 million

Ireland’s statistical system changed after the pandemic, so directly presenting 2021 and 2022 as part of the same visitor series would create a misleading comparison.

The weakness in 2025 was not limited to visitor volume.

Foreign visitor nights fell 3% to 47.9 million. Foreign visitor expenditure declined 9%, reaching approximately €5.5 billion.

Great Britain remained Ireland’s largest source region, accounting for 38% of foreign visitors. Continental Europe represented 33%, while North America supplied 24%.

For travellers, Ireland remains a major European destination, but its latest figures suggest that visitor spending and volume can move differently from broader European tourism trends.

Germany: A Strong Domestic Market Masks Foreign Weakness

Germany presents a different tourism pattern.

Total accommodation nights reached a record 497.5 million in 2025. That was 0.3% above 2024.

Yet foreign visitor accommodation nights declined.

International guests generated 83.8 million overnight stays in 2025, down 1.8% from 2024.

Germany tourism accommodation	Foreign overnight stays
2021	31.0 million
2022	Approximately 62.0 million
2023	Approximately 80 million
2024	Approximately 85 million
2025	83.8 million

The 2025 decline partly reflects a difficult comparison with 2024.

Germany hosted UEFA EURO 2024, which generated additional international travel demand. Destinations that benefited from major sporting events faced a natural statistical challenge the following year.

At the same time, domestic tourism strengthened.

Domestic accommodation nights rose 0.7% to 413.7 million in 2025. This shows why Germany cannot simply be described as a tourism destination in decline.

For international travellers, Germany continues to offer strong city tourism, cultural attractions, Christmas markets, rail connections and business travel opportunities.

The data instead suggest that foreign demand softened after an exceptional event-driven year.

Sweden: A Statistical Warning Rather Than a Tourism Collapse

Sweden requires especially careful interpretation.

OECD data indicate that international arrivals decreased 2.8% in 2025.

However, Swedish official accommodation statistics show that foreign guest nights actually increased strongly during 2025.

This apparent contradiction demonstrates why tourism statistics must be read carefully.

Sweden indicator	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
International overnight visitors, commercial accommodation	2.99m	6.63m	—	8.7m	Latest arrivals measure -2.8%
Foreign accommodation nights	7.27m	15.33m	16.5m	16.8m	18.62m

The Swedish tourism authority also warns that 2024 accommodation reporting was affected by technical problems in some hotel booking systems. That caused some foreign visitors to be underreported in 2024 and makes certain year-on-year comparisons difficult.

This is why Sweden should be regarded as a destination showing a decline in one inbound indicator, rather than a destination experiencing a broad tourism collapse.

Five-Year Comparison Shows a Much Bigger Tourism Story

The wider five-year picture is dominated by the pandemic recovery.

Destination	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
United States	22.1m	51.8m	66.5m	72.39m	68.3m
Canada	4.28m	17.92m	27.21m	29.82m	29.62m
Thailand	~0.43m	11.07m	28.15m	35.55m	32.97m
Ireland	N/A*	N/A*	6.3m	6.6m	6.4m
Germany	31.0m foreign nights	~62m	~80m	~85m	83.8m
Sweden	2.99m overnight visitors	6.63m	8.7m international nights/visitor measures differ	8.7m visitors	arrivals -2.8%

*Ireland’s current inbound-tourism methodology does not provide a directly comparable 2021–2022 foreign-visitor series. Ireland’s CSO instead published overseas passenger-arrival statistics during that period. In 2022, 17.26 million overseas passengers arrived, compared with 4.96 million in 2021, but those figures include Irish residents returning home and therefore should not be presented as tourist arrivals.

Why China Is Moving in the Opposite Direction

China provides the strongest counterpoint to the countries showing recent weakness.

The National Immigration Administration recorded 64.882 million trips by foreign nationals in 2024, an 82.9% increase year on year.

In the first half of 2025, foreign nationals made 38.053 million exit-entry trips, 30.2% more than the previous year.

By the first half of 2026, foreign-national inbound trips had reached 22.91 million, up 20.4%.

Visa-free entry played a major role, with 17.82 million visa-free entries recorded during the first six months of 2026.

For international tourists, the lesson is significant.

Simpler entry can directly affect destination attractiveness.

China has expanded unilateral visa-free arrangements and operates a 240-hour visa-free transit policy for eligible travellers.

What Global Travellers Should Take From the Numbers

The latest statistics do not show that international tourism is abandoning North America, Europe or Southeast Asia.

Instead, they reveal a more complicated redistribution of travel demand.

The United States recorded the largest percentage decline among the six destinations considered here. Canada experienced a smaller fall, heavily influenced by weaker American visitation.

Thailand’s decline followed an exceptional recovery year. Ireland experienced lower visitor numbers and spending, while Germany’s foreign accommodation nights softened after the Euro 2024 effect.

Sweden’s case demonstrates why travellers and analysts must distinguish between arrivals and accommodation nights.

Meanwhile, China is attracting more foreign travellers through expanded entry access and visa-free policies.

For global tourists, this changing landscape offers a practical lesson.

Before choosing a destination, travellers should check current visa rules, border requirements, flight connectivity, local transportation, seasonal conditions and official travel guidance.

The international tourism market is becoming increasingly competitive.

Destinations that combine easy entry, strong connectivity, attractive experiences and clear visitor services are likely to have an important advantage in the next phase of global travel.

Conclusion

The latest visitor figures reveal a changing global tourism landscape. The United States, Canada and other major countries are facing different levels of visitor pressure, while China continues to attract global travellers through easier entry and expanding connectivity. However, these declines do not mean these destinations have lost their travel appeal. Instead, changing visitor preferences, travel costs, border policies and international connections are reshaping demand. Travel And Tour World urges travellers to look beyond headline numbers and compare destinations carefully before planning their next journey. For global tourists, this shifting tourism map could open exciting opportunities to discover emerging travel experiences.