LOS ANGELES – International travel to the United States fell in 2025, raising doubts about the country’s tourism appeal even as it prepares to host the Fifa World Cup and mark the 250th anniversary of its founding in 2026.
Foreign visitor numbers dropped by 5.5 per cent in 2025 compared with the year before, according to figures released on March 16 by the US National Travel and Tourism Office – the first full-year decline since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some are calling it a “Trump slump”, citing US President Donald Trump’s tougher immigration stance and stricter entry rules.
Reports of tourists being detained and deported at the border prompted several countries, including Germany, Britain and Canada, to issue or update travel advisories for the US.
Calls for a boycott emerged online and in the media, especially among Canadians angered by the American President’s trade tariffs – and jokes about making Canada the “51st state”.
“Why reward Donald Trump’s America with your tourist dollars?” former US labour secretary Robert Reich argued in a March 2025 column published in The Guardian newspaper.
But for Singaporeans considering a trip to the US, the Trump factor has been a secondary consideration, according to travel agents and individuals who spoke to The Straits Times.
Instead, the decisive factors are cost, distance and more attractive alternatives closer to home.
Even with the Singapore dollar strengthening against the US dollar in 2025, holidays in the US tend to be more expensive than those in Asia and parts of Europe.
Ms Trista Foo, a senior marketing communications executive at Chan Brothers Travel, says interest in the US among its customers has been relatively subdued in recent years, largely due to persistently high airfares after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Compared with Asia and Europe, the US is also less accessible – and perhaps less novel.
“It’s the 16- to 18-hour flight, punishing time zone difference and – for many who visited in the 2000s – a sense of ‘been there’,” says Ms Lilian Tan, a director at Dynasty Travel International.
Meanwhile, the US increasingly faces stiff competition from destinations such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Central Asia. These have grown more attractive to Singapore travellers because of favourable exchange rates, new direct flights from Changi and strong cultural pull, Ms Tan observes.
Even so, the US tourism industry is hoping for a rebound in 2026.
The World Cup – with matches hosted across 11 US cities, as well as in Canada and Mexico, in June and July – is projected to draw 1.24 million foreign visitors. But rising air travel costs and disruptions from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could dampen the outlook.
Ms Jennifer Tong, senior director of international public relations at Brand USA – the destination marketing organisation for the US – says sporting events of this scale typically drive strong visitation, as fans travel not only to attend matches, but also to experience the host cities.
Ms Lisa Simon, chief executive of the International Inbound Travel Association, a group of more than 200 US inbound tourism operators, suppliers and marketing agencies, adds that core US attractions are also a strong draw.
“International demand for America’s iconic experiences – particularly its national parks, scenic landscapes and cultural destinations – remains very strong across many markets,” she says.
In 2026, the country is touting several “once-in-a-generation” experiences for travellers, including celebrations for the US semiquincentennial on July 4 and the centenary of the historic Route 66 – long associated with classic American road trips – culminating on Nov 11.
Travel agents say these events may boost demand among niche demographics such as die-hard football fans, but are unlikely to reverse the broader trend of Singapore travellers increasingly favouring Asia and Europe for their holidays.
And if there has been a “Trump slump”, travellers from Asia are not the main driver.
Canada accounted for most of the drop, with more than four million fewer Canadians visiting the US in 2025 compared with the year before – a 20.9 per cent reduction, compared with a dip of 6.7 per cent for inbound travel from Asia.
But some Singaporeans are taking news reports about safety in the US seriously.
Ms Josephine Nishaat Thama has long wanted to visit the US, and considered travelling there for the 2026 World Cup.
While the Trump administration’s border policies did not faze her, media reports and online discussions about crime in certain US cities made her shelve those plans.
“As a parent travelling with a two-year-old child, safety is my number one priority,” says the 31-year-old content creator.
Ms Tan of Dynasty Travel International says concerns about civil unrest, high-profile immigration enforcement and gun violence incidents have also made some Singapore travellers uneasy about personal safety in the US.
“These concerns are difficult to quantify, but they come up regularly in our consultations,” she adds.
Perceptions of a more complicated entry process are shaping behaviour as well.
Ms Jess Yap from Singapore-based luxury travel agency Intriq Journey says more clients want to avoid transiting through the US en route to holidays in Latin America.
“This appears to be driven by increasing perceptions of unfriendly immigration processes, often based on personal experiences or feedback from other travellers,” she says.
Ms Charlotte Harris, chief executive of Charlotte Travel, has observed the same wariness. The Hong Kong-headquartered luxury travel agency opened a Singapore office in 2026.
She says interest in the US has not disappeared, but adds: “From our vantage point in Asia, we did see more clients postpone or downsize US trips, rather than cancel outright.”
This was driven partly by Asian and European holidays offering shorter flight times and often better value, and partly by sentiment.
“Political noise and stories about safety or complex entry procedures around the US, even when they didn’t directly affect our clients, nudged some towards ‘easier’ options,” she says.
US tourism operators are well aware of this.
Ms Simon acknowledges that travellers are highly sensitive to signals about how welcoming a destination feels.
“International travellers value an easy and predictable experience to enter a country, and the US faces strong competition from destinations that are actively streamlining their visa processes and reducing travel barriers,” she says.
But she stresses that media coverage about policy changes or border issues does not always reflect reality.
“Millions of international visitors continue to visit the US without incident, and the American people remain ready to welcome them.”
So far, tighter US entry rules have had little impact on Singapore passport holders travelling to the US for 90 days or less under the Visa Waiver Program, which allows short-term visits for tourism, business or transit.
They can still apply online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, or Esta, which now costs US$40.27 (S$52) a person, the Trump administration having raised the fee from US$21 in 2025.
However, uncertainty about whether this entry process for Singaporeans might change in the future is a deterrent, says Ms Er Shu Qin, 33, who works in tech.
“It makes it seem just a little bit more risky, especially for such a long-haul trip that would have to be planned ahead of time,” says Ms Er, who has never been to the US and longs to visit one of its many national parks.
“The US is also just very far away,” she adds. “I think Singaporeans are spoilt for choice – now more than ever – when it comes to destinations that are nearer and also much cheaper.”
The US is considering tighter social media vetting for the Esta, which could require applicants to list all social media handles they have used in the last five years.
While the additional scrutiny might put some off, food blogger Serene Lim, 42, suggests it could also make travellers feel the country is taking security seriously, and make people feel safer overall.
Despite the negative sentiment, she and other Singaporeans who spoke to ST say the US is still a place they would very much like to visit.
“My impression of it as a destination has not changed drastically,” says Ms Lim. “Growing up watching many American movies and TV shows, cities like New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco have always felt very iconic and interesting. So, I’d love to visit.”
And that enduring appeal means few in the travel industry are prepared to write it off as a major destination.
Says Ms Tan: “The challenge isn’t that the US has lost its magic. It’s that travellers from Singapore need a more compelling reason to choose it over closer, cheaper alternatives.”
