Dee-Ann Durbin, Associated Press
Travel to the US fell 9% in April as businesses and workers tackled economic uncertainty and anger over the Trump administration’s tariffs and border policies.
The National Travel and Tourism Office released preliminary figures on Thursday showing the number of airlines and ship passengers that entered the country using business visas last month.
The Middle East was the only region with high business travel to the US, an increase of 9.4% compared to April 2024. For example, the number of business travelers from Western Europe fell by 17.7%.
Data from the new government did not include people coming from Canada and travelling on land from Mexico. The arrivals of business visa-holders in Mexico fell by 11.8%, according to the government.
Overall trips from Canada also fell in April. According to Statistics Canada, Canadian residents fell 20% in April on their return trips via broadcast from the US, and 35% in return trips on the car.
Business trips to the US were endured better than leisure trips in the first quarter of the year. More than 1.2 million travelers entered the United States using business visas from January to March, up 7% from the previous year, according to US government data. The number of tourists using tourist visas fell by 6%.
But it turned over in April. The second half of Easter holidays probably encouraged more leisure trips. Travel to the US by international travelers holding tourist visas increased by 13.8% in April.
It is unclear whether the trend will grow. Analytics, aerial analytics firm Cirium said data analysis from online travel agents showed that advance bookings from Europe to 14 US cities fell by 12% from the same month last year.
Several US airlines derive financial forecasts for the year, citing uncertainty and weak demand from fewer leisure travelers. Many industry experts believe business travel will continue to decline in the coming months.
Leslie Andrews, a global travel leader at real estate firm JLL and a board member of the Global Business Travel Association Foundation, said he believes that corporate travel will be slower in the second and third quarters of the year due to the economic and geopolitical volatility set.
“What I’m hearing is, ‘Things were good in the first quarter,’ but in the second quarter it’s the question, ‘Do you have to do that trip?’,” Andrews said. “They are pulling in a bit of the reins to make sure only purposeful travel is happening as things grow and evolve.”
Travel Association BT4Europe said businesses are increasingly wary of unpredictable procedures and risks of detention to enter the United States, particularly for LGBTQ+ individuals or those who have expressed political opinions on social media.
Kevin Hagerty usually travels from Canada to the US several times a year to visit Atlanta or Las Vegas exhibitions and Los Angeles suppliers. However, his concerns about crossing the border will prevent him from making those trips this year.
Hagerty, who owns a company that sells gifts and souvenirs, said Canadian retailers no longer want US products. His US suppliers struggle to float due to US tariffs on products made in China. In particular, he is concerned about reports of international travelers being detained at the US border.
“To be honest, my tension and resistance to crossing over to the US stems from more than hostility towards the American market,” said Hagerty, who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Suzanne Neufang, CEO of the Global Business Travel Association, said in a poll of more than 900 association members last month that it is nearly a third of what it expects to see global travel decline this year.
Canada’s members are the most pessimistic, with 71% expecting a decline in travel this year, Neufang said.
“Uncertainty is uncertainty for the business travel sector, which prefers to be safe and efficient,” she said.
Drop-off on a business trip represents a set-up between the US travel industry and cities, which hosts international customs and exhibitions. The $1.6 trillion global business travel sector has finally returned to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic. U.S. travel spending reached pre-Covid levels in 2023, but last year the rest of the world achieved it.
Hotel lobbyist president Brett Stellenson said it is a Washington company that helps the group book hotels for meetings and meetings, and that some countries are losing international business as they warn travelers not to visit the US.
The US government cuts are also hurting businesses, Sterenson said. He works with several groups that offer international exchange programs through the State Department. He said the program welcomes travelers from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and other countries, and shares best practices such as energy policy and environmental management. However, due to cuts in funding, some of his business has fallen by 75%.
“These exchanges were incredibly useful not only to spread goodwill, but also to educate developing countries with excellent governance,” Sternson said.
Hagerty, Canada, said he canceled a trip to the fair in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and several retailers he works with have also withdrawn. He is currently looking for products to sell to England, France, Spain and other markets.
“It’s a shame. It’s much easier to bring products from the US to Canada, but we’re in the corner,” he said. “I want people to know how much damage this administration is causing their relationship worldwide.”
Original issue: May 15th, 2025, 3:26pm EDT
