According to the latest market profile report from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) released in July 2026, the US welcomed an estimated 34.3 million overseas visitors during 2025. This represented a 2.5% decline from the 35.2 million recorded in 2024.
Even so, 2025 was the second-strongest year for international arrivals since before the pandemic, with visitor numbers well above the 31.468 million recorded in 2023 and the 23.953 million welcomed in 2022. The market has not yet fully recovered, however, remaining 15.1% below the record 40.393 million overseas visitors in 2019.
Single destination-visit dominates
The most noticeable shift came after visitors landed. About 8.9 million overseas travelers took at least one domestic flight within the United States, down 8% from 9.7 million in 2024. That was also well below the 10.3 million recorded in 2019, suggesting many international visitors opted to spend more time in one region rather than combining several destinations on the same trip.
The figures indicate international visitors continue to favor deeper exploration of a limited number of destinations instead of multi-state itineraries. The trend can also be explained to strongly increased cost for holiday with high air fares and particularly high accommodation and F&B prices.
Nearly 45% of overseas travelers visited only one US state, while the average traveler visited 1.9 states, virtually unchanged from the previous year.
Travel planning remained largely stable. Overseas visitors made their travel decision an average of 103 days before departure, only slightly below 2024. The median planning period was 67 days. The average stay in the US was 22.5 nights, compared with 23.3 nights a year earlier, while the median stay remained at 13 nights.
Hotels continued to dominate accommodation choices. More than 75% of overseas visitors stayed at a hotel or motel during their trip, and the average hotel stay increased to 12.6 nights, the highest level since before the pandemic.
Package holidays continued their long-term decline. Only 7.4% of overseas travelers purchased prepaid travel packages in 2025, compared with more than 20% at the start of the century. Meanwhile, one in five visitors was making their first trip to the United States.
The average travel party remained stable at 1.6 people, highlighting the continued importance of couples and solo travelers in the international market. Visitors also reported an average household income of $94,780, reflecting the relatively affluent nature of long-haul international travel.
National parks, shopping and food remained top attractions
The NTTO reports also provide a detailed snapshot of what overseas visitors did during their US vacations.
America’s national parks continued to be among the country’s strongest tourism assets. Travelers from the United Kingdom remained the largest overseas market for visits to national parks and monuments, with 1.7 million visitors in 2025. They were followed by France (918,000), Germany (895,000), Brazil (721,000) and India (546,000), demonstrating the broad international appeal of the country’s natural landscapes.
Business travel remained heavily concentrated in a handful of gateway cities. New York City was the leading destination, attracting 892,000 overseas business travelers, well ahead of Los Angeles (485,000), San Francisco (374,000), Miami (372,000) and Las Vegas (275,000). These cities continue to benefit from strong international air connectivity and large convention and corporate travel markets.
Theme parks is still a powerful draw, particularly for visitors from Latin America. Brazilians were the most likely international visitors to include an amusement or theme park during their trip, with 61% doing so. They were followed by visitors from Colombia (53%), Ecuador (49%), Costa Rica (49%) and Chile (47%). The figures underline the continuing appeal of destinations such as Orlando and Southern California for family travel.
Food tourism also remained an important motivator. Around 8.2 million overseas visitors enjoyed fine dining experiences during their stay in the United States. New York ranked first by a wide margin with 2.2 million visitors, followed by Miami (1.2 million), Los Angeles (1 million), Orlando (789,000) and San Francisco (722,000). The results reinforce the growing role of culinary tourism in attracting international visitors to major US cities.
Analyzing transportation, car rental remained a popular way to explore the country beyond the largest metropolitan areas. Among the 9.4 million overseas visitors who rented a vehicle, 87% went shopping during their trip. Other popular activities included visiting national parks and monuments (41%), exploring small towns (38%), visiting amusement parks (37%) and discovering historic sites (31%).
Meanwhile, NTTO data suggest that international visitors remain highly interested in traveling to the United States but are adapting their travel behavior. However, US destinations need to entice travelers to venture more outside the top US destinations. The findings highlight an opportunity to encourage international travelers to extend their itineraries beyond the traditional gateway cities and increase domestic travel once they arrive.
