Vermont Joins Utah, California, Washington, Virginia, Michigan, and Others in Facing a Significant Decline in Tourist Arrivals Across the US in 2025 and How These States Plan to Boost Tourism This Year: Everything You Need to Know

Published on January 7, 2026

In 2025, Vermont joins Utah, California, Washington, Virginia, Michigan, and others in facing a significant decline in tourist arrivals. However, these states are implementing strategies to boost tourism in 2026 with targeted initiatives. The downturn in 2025 can be attributed to various factors such as economic uncertainties, changing travel patterns, and lingering effects from previous global disruptions. Despite these challenges, each state is focused on recovery and growth in 2026 by leveraging major events, enhancing local attractions, and improving infrastructure. Vermont, for instance, is focusing on promoting its outdoor tourism through seasonal events, while California is capitalizing on major sports events and international festivals. Washington and Virginia are refining their tourism offerings by expanding eco-tourism and enhancing transportation routes, and Michigan is planning new cultural events to attract visitors. These proactive measures are designed to attract more tourists and revitalize the industry, setting the stage for a stronger tourism sector in 2026.

Tourist Arrival Trends in Vermont: A Year-on-Year Overview

Vermont’s tourism sector faced notable challenges in 2025, with a significant decline in visitor arrivals compared to 2024. The year began positively with an 8.82% increase in January, showing promise for the rest of the year. However, the situation quickly turned negative, particularly in the spring and summer months. The steepest declines were recorded in May and June, where arrivals dropped by over 30%. The trend continued with further reductions in July and August, with declines surpassing 30%. Vermont’s total arrivals for 2024 were 2,992K, but this figure decreased to 2,761K in 2025, reflecting a Year-over-Year (YOY) decrease of 7.73%. This downturn highlights the challenges faced by the state’s tourism industry, especially during the peak tourist months. Despite these setbacks, there remain opportunities for recovery, particularly through improved strategies in the summer months when tourism typically peaks. Strengthening marketing efforts and creating targeted campaigns could be key to reversing these declines in future years.

Tourist Arrival Trends in Utah: A Quick Overview

Utah’s tourism sector saw both gains and losses in 2025 compared to 2024. The year started strong with a 15.63% increase in January, but several months saw sharp declines, particularly in April (-28.57%) and May (-23.53%). However, there were notable rebounds in the latter part of the year, with a striking 62.70% increase in August, followed by a 31.25% rise in November. Despite the recovery, Utah’s total tourist arrivals dropped by 5.91%, from 24.6K in 2024 to 22.3K in 2025. The fluctuations highlight that Utah’s tourism industry, while facing challenges, can bounce back in key months. By focusing on leveraging high-tourism periods like August and November, the state can potentially recapture the losses from earlier in the year and position itself for long-term growth.

Tourist Arrival Trends in California: A Year-on-Year Overview

California’s tourism industry showed mixed results in 2025, experiencing both growth and decline in visitor arrivals. While the year began with a small increase of 1.28% in January, the overall trend shifted downward for most of the year. Key months like June saw a significant dip of 3.75%. Despite these declines, there were moments of growth, such as in April, when arrivals increased by 1.30%. By the end of the year, California’s total tourist arrivals for 2025 were 91.4 million, slightly down from 92.1 million in 2024, marking a Year-over-Year (YOY) decrease of 1.28%. This decline, though modest, indicates some challenges for the state’s tourism industry, particularly during the summer and fall months. To address this, the industry could focus on enhancing seasonal tourism strategies, particularly in the months that saw declines, and leverage California’s diverse attractions to boost overall visitor numbers. Despite the setbacks, California remains a major tourism hub, and with strategic adjustments, the state’s tourism sector could recover and even surpass previous figures.

Tourist Arrival Trends in Washington: A Year-on-Year Overview

Washington state’s tourism faced significant declines in 2025, with most months seeing substantial decreases in visitor arrivals compared to 2024. The year began with a positive 18.18% increase in January, but by March, the situation had reversed dramatically, with a sharp 26.67% drop in arrivals. The declines continued through the spring and summer, with June and September seeing 20% drops. Washington’s total tourist arrivals in 2025 were 13.2 million, down from 15.9 million in 2024, marking a Year-over-Year (YOY) decline of 17.10%. This downturn highlights the challenges the state faced in maintaining its tourism numbers, especially in key months. Despite the early success in January, the overall decline suggests that Washington’s tourism sector needs to reevaluate its promotional and marketing strategies to attract more visitors throughout the year. Targeted campaigns aimed at the spring and summer months could help revive the sector and reverse the declines in the coming years.

Tourist Arrival Trends in Virginia: A Year-on-Year Overview

Virginia experienced a modest decline in tourist arrivals from 2024 to 2025, with a slight 1.28% decrease overall. The year began positively, with a 1.28% increase in January, signaling a potential for growth. However, several months, particularly in the summer, saw a drop in visitor numbers, with June and July experiencing declines of 3.75% and 2.35%, respectively. Despite these setbacks, there was a slight recovery in April, with arrivals increasing by 1.30%. Virginia’s tourism industry can look to these trends to devise strategies for future growth, especially by focusing on the summer months when tourism typically peaks. With a steady decline observed during key months, focusing on revitalizing the tourism experience in these periods could lead to better results in the future. Overall, while 2025 presented some challenges, the decline was relatively minor, suggesting that with the right approach, Virginia’s tourism sector can recover.

Tourist Arrival Trends in Michigan: A Year-on-Year Overview

Michigan’s tourism sector experienced a slight decline in 2025, with total arrivals dropping by 6.89%. The year began with a modest 0.70% increase in January, but the months that followed, including February and May, saw more significant declines. May, in particular, faced a 16.67% drop. While there was some resilience in the summer months, with smaller declines in July and August, the overall trend remained negative. Despite the decline, Michigan’s tourism industry remains crucial for the state’s economy, and focusing on recovering the losses in the spring and fall months could help boost future visitor numbers. With the right marketing strategies, Michigan’s tourism could bounce back and see more stable growth moving forward.

Boosting Tourism Across U.S. States in 2026: Key Initiatives and Strategies

As the tourism industry strives to recover and grow in 2026, several U.S. states are implementing targeted initiatives to attract more visitors. By focusing on major events, sports tourism, and key infrastructure developments, these states aim to capitalize on their unique attractions and boost their tourism numbers. Here’s a look at the strategies for Vermont, California, Washington, Virginia, Utah, and Michigan.

• Vermont is capitalizing on its outdoor tourism by promoting new seasonal festivals and events such as winter sports competitions and artisanal food fairs. With significant summer declines in 2025, the state aims to attract visitors year-round with events centered around hiking, skiing, and fall foliage tours, while expanding trail access and tourism infrastructure to enhance visitor experiences.
• California is leveraging major sports events like the NFL Super Bowl, college championships, and L.A. Marathon to attract tourists. The state’s focus on hosting international film and music festivals alongside coastal and wine-region tourism campaigns, alongside enhanced airport marketing and improved transit systems, will bolster tourism despite a slight decline in 2025 numbers.
• Washington is focused on promoting its urban and outdoor attractions through events like the Seattle International Film Festival and Spokane’s outdoor adventure festivals. The state aims to recover from a 17% drop in 2025 by improving visitor amenities, expanding eco-tourism, and hosting more sports tourism events to target both domestic and international visitors.
• Virginia is promoting its historic festivals, outdoor sports events, and beach tourism along the coast. New developments to attract tourists include expanded lodging options and improved transport routes to key sites, aimed at reversing the 1.28% decline from 2025. Efforts will also focus on increasing visitors during spring and summer months with new digital campaigns and targeted marketing.
• Utah is focusing on national outdoor sports events, including mountain biking and skiing championships, along with growing summer festivals to attract families. The state plans to continue leveraging Utah’s national parks and recreational outdoor programs to recover from the slight 5.91% drop in 2025, with plans for improved visitor services and seasonal marketing.
• Michigan will highlight its Great Lakes events, including waterfront concerts and outdoor sports competitions, along with autumn foliage tours to bolster tourism. After a 6.89% decline in 2025, the state is investing in new visitor infrastructure, accommodation improvements, and promoting cultural heritage events to encourage both domestic and international tourism in the coming year.

In 2025, Vermont joins Utah, California, Washington, Virginia, Michigan, and others in facing a significant decline in tourist arrivals. However, these states are implementing strategies to boost tourism in 2026 with targeted initiatives.

Conclusion

Vermont joins Utah, California, Washington, Virginia, Michigan, and other states in facing a significant decline in tourist arrivals in 2025. While these states have experienced challenges due to factors like economic uncertainty, changing travel preferences, and external disruptions, they are actively working to boost tourism in 2026. With targeted initiatives, including enhancing local attractions, hosting major events, and improving infrastructure, these states are setting the stage for a recovery. By focusing on leveraging both established and emerging tourism opportunities, they aim to reverse the downturn and position themselves as top destinations for travelers in the coming year. As tourism dynamics shift, these states’ strategic efforts will be crucial to regaining momentum and sustaining growth in the future.