Anger against Trump is forecast to cost the US international visitors

Anger over the Trump administration's tariffs and rhetoric likely will cause international travel to the U.S. to fall even further than expected this year, an influential travel forecasting company says.

Tourism Economics said this past week it expects the number of people arriving in the U.S. from abroad to decline by 9.



4% this year. That's almost twice the 5% drop the company forecast at the end of February. At the beginning of the year, Tourism Economics predicted a booming year for international travel to the U.

S., with visits up 9% from 2024. Toronto residents Douglas Bloomfield, left, and his son Phoenix, right, on vacation in Washington, hold a Canadian flag and an ice hockey stick March 13 as they pose with with another visitor wearing a mask of President Donald Trump in front of the White House in Washington.

However, Tourism Economics President Adam Sacks said high-profile lockups of European tourists at the U.S. border in recent weeks chilled international travelers.

Potential visitors also were angered by tariffs, Trump's stance toward Canada and Greenland , and his heated White House exchange with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "With each policy development, each rhetorical missive, we're just seeing unforced error after unforced error in the administration," Sacks said. "It has a direct impact on international travel to the U.

S." The decline will have consequences for airlines, hotels, national parks and other sites frequented by tourists. Tourism Economics expects travel from Canada to plummet 20% this year, a decline that will be acutely felt in border states such as New York and Michigan but also popular tourist destinations like California, Nevada and Florida.

The U.S. Travel Association, a trade group, also warned about Canadians staying away .

Even a 10% reduction in travel from Canada could mean 2 million fewer visits, $2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses, the group said in February. Kelsey Barberio brings you the biggest news of the day, including fewer Canadians are choosing the U.

S. ad a travel destination. Other travel-related companies noted worrying signs.

At its annual shareholder meeting on Monday, Air Canada said bookings to the U.S. were down 10% for the April-September period compared to the same period a year ago.

Sacks said he now expects foreign visitors to spend $9 billion less in the U.S. compared to 2024, when international tourism to the country rose 9.

1%. "The irony is that the tariffs are being put in place to help right the trade deficit, but they're harming the trade balance by causing fewer international travelers to come and spend money here," Sacks said. Sacks said international arrivals were getting close to returning to 2019 numbers, before the COVID-19 pandemic halted most travel.

Now he thinks they won't get back to that level until 2029. On Feb. 14, 2025, the National Park Service laid off about 1,000 probationary employees, targeting those hired less than a year ago, as part of efforts to downsize the federal workforce under the Trump administration.

Additionally, over 700 employees opted to resign , further reducing staff levels. These staffing changes occurred just weeks before the busy season, typically from May to September, creating operational challenges across the 428 sites within the national park system, Outwander reports. The effects of these cuts vary across parks: Conservation organizations, including the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), have raised alarms about both immediate and long-term consequences.

The NPCA highlights a growing maintenance backlog exceeding $22 billion , which could worsen with reduced staffing. Additionally, gateway communities —towns reliant on park tourism—may face economic ripple effects if visitor experiences deteriorate. Despite the cuts, the NPS plans to hire approximately 5,000 seasonal workers for summer operations, a temporary measure to address immediate needs.

However, this cannot fully compensate for the loss of permanent staff. For travelers, preparation is key : Despite these challenges, visitation remains high. In 2023, the NPS recorded 325.

5 million visits, and 2024 saw a record 331.9 million visits , a 2% increase. Interestingly, the NPS has been instructed not to publicize these record figures , as reported by SFGate ( SFGate ).

To address staffing gaps, parks are exploring expanded partnerships with nonprofit organizations . The NPS has long collaborated with groups like the National Park Foundation, and these partnerships may help mitigate some operational challenges. As summer approaches, visitors should adjust their expectations while recognizing that America's national parks remain extraordinary destinations worth exploring with proper preparation and a flexible mindset.

This story was produced by Outwander and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Photo Credit: Nieuwland Photography / Shutterstock As travelers gear up for spring break or begin making early summer vacation plans, many find that rising costs make getaways feel out of reach. However, despite elevated airline prices in recent years, budget-conscious travelers still have options for long-distance domestic travel.

Some flight routes spanning over 1,800 miles continue to offer surprisingly affordable fares, providing opportunities to explore more distant destinations without breaking the bank. To help travelers find the best deals, Upgraded Points analyzed domestic airfare data to identify the cheapest long-distance flights across the U.S.

By looking at routes exceeding 1,800 miles, the analysis highlights the most budget-friendly ways to cross the country while still enjoying a change of scenery. Whether you're hoping for a beach escape, a city adventure, or a visit to family and friends, these routes can help make travel more affordable, even as expenses elsewhere continue to rise. After rising sharply post-COVID, long-distance airfares have decreased.

Image Credit: Upgraded Points Long-distance airfares have moderated over the past 2 years following their post-COVID-19 surges. In 2022, airfare prices for one-way domestic trips over 1,800 miles spiked due to pent-up demand and rising fuel costs, reaching a high of $400 in Q2 2022. However, fares have steadily declined since then, with the most recent data showing an average fare of $326 in the second half of 2024.

This drop signals a more budget-friendly environment for travelers booking cross-country trips. Looking at longer-term trends, airfare prices are actually more affordable today than they were a decade ago when adjusted for inflation. In 2014, the average inflation-adjusted airfare for long-distance domestic flights hovered around $420 per one-way ticket, compared to the $326 we see today.

While travelers may feel the pinch of rising costs in other areas, airfare — at least for longer routes — has become relatively cheaper in real terms over the past 10 years. Image Credit: Upgraded Points For travelers looking to cover long distances without overspending, several flight routes offer exceptionally low fares. The most affordable route is between Las Vegas (LAS) and Sanford, Florida (SFB) , where the average one-way fare is just $92 for a journey spanning 2,034 miles.

Allegiant Air dominates this route, providing budget-friendly options for those traveling between Florida and Nevada. Following closely behind is another Sanford trip — the Provo, Utah (PVU) to Sanford (SFB) route — with an average fare of just $100. Again, Allegiant Air operates this low-cost connection, making it an affordable choice for travelers between Utah and Florida.

Among the more well-known coast-to-coast options, Newark, NJ (EWR) to Oakland, CA (OAK) stands out with an average fare of $149, primarily serviced by Spirit Airlines. Other affordable long-haul routes include Akron-Canton, OH (CAK) to Las Vegas (LAS) ($169) and Chicago (MDW) to San Francisco (SFO) ($170). Notably, Southwest Airlines appears multiple times on the list, competing with low-cost carriers like Allegiant, Breeze, and Spirit.

For those traveling between the Los Angeles area and Florida, Southwest offers several relatively low-cost options at around $200 or less each way. With a mix of major cities and less conventional airport pairings, these routes demonstrate that long-distance travel can still be budget-friendly, especially when flying with lower-cost carriers. This analysis was conducted by Upgraded Points — a company that compares travel and credit card rewards programs — using data from the U.

S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. For a complete breakdown of average airfares for more than 1,000 long-distance domestic flight routes in the U.

S. (over 1,800 miles), see the original post: The Cheapest Long-Distance Flights in the U.S.

Photo Credit: Nieuwland Photography / Shutterstock This study uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ Domestic Airline Consumer Airfare Report .

The analysis focuses on one-way trips exceeding 1,800 miles, aggregated as directionless airport pairs. Airfares include nonstop and connecting itineraries and are calculated using a weighted average of passenger volume from Q4 2023 to Q3 2024, the latest available data. Distance is measured as the nonstop mileage, regardless of whether a nonstop flight is available.

To improve relevance, only segments averaging at least 10 passengers per day with available fare data were included. For each segment, the airline with the greatest market share (largest carrier) and the airline offering the lowest average fare (lowest-cost carrier) were identified based on the most recent quarter of available data. For additional context, the airfare data for all segments was aggregated at the airport level to highlight which airports tend to offer the lowest fares for long-distance flights.

For complete results, see The Cheapest Long-Distance Flights in the U.S. on Upgraded Points.

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