Published on
October 8, 2025
Canada, Germany, the UK, and France have all significantly reduced their travel to the United States in recent years, largely due to political tensions and policy concerns. The shift in travel patterns has led to a notable decline in tourism, impacting major airlines like Air Canada, Lufthansa, British Airways, and Air France, as well as renowned hotel chains such as Hilton. These changes have not only affected international flights and bookings but have also sparked broader challenges for the U.S. travel industry, which is now adapting to a changing landscape. Travelers from these countries are reconsidering U.S. visits, influenced by factors such as stricter immigration policies, economic uncertainties, and fluctuating airfares. The resulting shifts have left a lasting impact on the tourism and hospitality industries, prompting airlines and hotels to reevaluate their services and offer more tailored experiences for a shrinking customer base. As a result, both tourists and industry players must navigate these changes to maintain a seamless travel experience amidst evolving geopolitical dynamics.
Effect of Political and Policy Issues on US Travel
People from Canada, Germany, the UK, and France are starting to visit the U.S. a lot less. A lot of this starts with political tensions and new policies, and the ripple effects are showing up in the hospitality services and airlines. This has especially affected Air Canada, Lufthansa, and British Airways, along with Hilton Hotels, where bookings aimed at the U.S. are starting to drop.
The decline in international visitors has led to frantic attempts to keep the travel sector afloat. With the U.S. travel industry feeling the effects of global travel changes, major airlines altering routes, and hotels dropping occupancy rates, what can U.S. visitors do to get around the problems and have the best U.S. experience possible?
For this piece, we will discuss the changes in travel from the most important markets and how airlines and hotels are currently working to fill the gaps. We will also discuss how travelers can deal with the changes in order to have a good trip.
Canada’s Decline in U.S. Tourism: A $3 Billion Loss
In Canada, the U.S. travel industry has seen a severe downturn due to the political climate created by and policies of the Trump administration. Things like tariffs and U.S. immigration practices put a huge strain on U.S. Canadian travel. With a $3 billion CAD estimated revenue decline in tourism, the American travel industry is under a lot of stress.
Canadians have started to look into more alternative locations, such as Mexico, the Caribbean, and South Africa. It seems that Air Canada, along with other major airlines, have taken note of the lack of interest from Canadians. They have made changes to their planned flights. Those who want to travel to the U.S. should look for other ways to get there. Air Canada and other airlines have made changes to their flights to important cities in the U.S. such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Travel Tip: Canadians who want to travel to the U.S. should take the time to look for the best deals and book their flights as early as possible. Air Canada is one of the airlines that, because of the change in interest, will have their flights adjusted. Watch for deals as airlines will try to get customers with discounts to fill empty seats.
Germany’s Influence: Travel to the U.S. Decreased by 28%
Germany, which is known for being a leading market for American tourism, has also suffered major decreases in the number of visitors. As of March 2025, statistics have shown that there is a 28% decrease in German visitors when compared to the prior year. There have also been changes in U.S. policy regarding visas and border policy that have discouraged international travel.
Due to the decreasing demand for transatlantic flights, Lufthansa, the Main Germany Germany flagship carrier, has been hit particularly hard. During this period, the airline has to reevaluate its routes for highly trafficked destinations like New York, Miami and Los Angeles. This is part of a larger trend where airlines are revising their long-haul services to decreasing bookings.
Flight Details: Lufthansa has direct routes on the A350s and B747-8s which offer comfortable long-haul travels from Germany to several US destinations which include New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX) and Miami (MIA).
Travel Tip: When flying from Germany to the US, always check for seasonal flight schedule changes. When there are fewer flights available, this typically results in crowded planes, so it is best to book your flight as early as possible.
UK Travelers Show 18% Decline in U.S. Visits
Travel from the UK to the US has long been a mainstay of both leisure and business travel. However, this has recently declined, now showing an 18% decrease. The reasons for this decline are attributed to economic concerns and policy issues. This decline has been detrimental to US tourism as the UK has been and continues to be a leading source country for international visitors to the US.
British Airways, one of the best airlines connecting the UK with the US, has seen a significant drop in demand. Especially on British Airways flights to US major hubs: New York, Boston, or San Francisco, there have been a lot of unbooked seats on flights. British Airways has been operating all of its transatlantic flights, but there may be different schedules or routes while the airline works to the new demand situation.
British Airways operates all its long-haul flights on the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner and has plenty of long-haul passenger amenities on all seats. Business and premium economy seats have more and different amenities. British Airways even has amenities provided in the economy class.
If you’re traveling from the UK to the US, try to travel during the off-peak times of the year, which are spring and fall, to take advantage of cheaper prices and have more abundant flights during your travel. Fluctuating prices on flights of lower demand and fewer available seats will help a traveler find a better deal while being flexible.
U.S. Tourism from France Now Down 25%
Not unlike other sources of U.S. tourism, France has seen a big decline in travelers. Numbers show that the amount of French tourists arriving in the U.S. has gone down 25% in 2025 compared to the first three months of 2024. This drop is attributed to the cost of air travel, the political situation, and fears about border safety.
Concerning Air France, the trend has also affected the national airline especially for the New York, Los Angeles, and Miami flight routes. Air France continues to have flights, however, they have to reduce the demand for French customers by changing the amount of flights and the times they depart.
Flight details: Air France has flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), and Miami (MIA). Passengers for the flight are welcomed to a pleasant and comfortable experience in the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777. There are choices of premium and economy.
Travel Tip: French tourists should book their U.S. vacations especially during the high season and peak periods. This is because some direct flights may not be as available. Early bookings tend to have more open options to avoid last-minute route changes on flights.
Challenge Faced by U.S. Hotels and Hilton
To a certain extent, the U.S. hospitality industry has been challenged due to a decrease in international tourism. Between Canada, Germany, the U.K., and France, there has been a larger drop in visitors and major U.S. cities have been struggling to fill hotel rooms. Hilton and other hotel chains that depend on international visitors to a large extent for a part of their hotel chains, have had to manage intercontinental blockades and have increased competition for rooms during the peak season.
Hilton does try to meet the needs of domestic visitors but the imbalance from international visitors does over-spill onto the fraud demand and thus sets the value perception on cost and deals. Because of this, over-spill will create the targeted domestic tourism to be more easily accessible and thus lower the cost to attract that domestic visitor.
Travel Tip: visitors to the U.S. should check out other options for staying in boutique hotels or Airbnbs. Even if discounts are available from large hotel chains, smaller companies provide personalized services for a lower price.
What This Means for U.S. Travel: Understanding the Travel Changes
Travel to the U.S. from Canada, Germany, the U.K. and France is starting to slow down, so the U.S. tourism industry is going to have to deal with this new reality. For international travelers, this will mean fewer flights to the U.S. and possibly some price adjustments. Air Canada, British Airways, and other international airlines will also adjust their flights, and this may mean fewer flights on the Air Canada route to the U.S. Travelers from these countries should be proactive in understanding the state of flights, and they should also be aware of the state of their accommodations like hotels. This will help travelers deal with less available services, especially if there are last minute schedule changes.
Travel Tip: Check the airline’s site to find the most recent travel advisories. Travel with the most flexible travel options available to you, and be willing to travel on different days if possible.
Canada, Germany, the UK, and France have reduced travel to the U.S. due to political and policy concerns, impacting major airlines like Air Canada, Lufthansa, and British Airways. This shift has created challenges for the U.S. tourism and hospitality industries, forcing them to adapt to a changing market.
Adjusting to New Travel Patterns
Declining U.S. tourism from Canada, Germany, the UK, and France has several consequences for the airline and hospitality industries. While the absence of international travelers has been difficult for Air Canada, Lufthansa, British Airways, and Air France, as well as Hilton, there are still benefits for travelers willing to embrace the new conditions.
Travelers can still have a wonderful U.S. vacation, even with the changes in the global tourism picture, simply by booking flights and hotel rooms in advance, being aware of travel disruptions, and keeping flexibility in their plans. The U.S. travel industry is still facing these challenges, and travelers will be rewarded with new ways to see the best the U.S. has to offer.
