U.S. expected big travel year, but overseas visitors — angered by Trump — are heading elsewhere

The National Travel and Tourism Office gave a rosier forecast last month for international travel to the U.S. Based on 2024 travel patterns, the office said it expected arrivals to increase 6.5% to 77.1 million this year and surpass 2019 levels in 2026. The weak yen – not Trump – is likely the biggest factor dampening the attraction of the U.S., said Takaaki Mitamura, a spokesperson for Tokyo-based travel agent Veltra Corp. Travelers are picking destinations where the currency effect isn’t as big, like South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Australia, he said. Atomiya, who went to college in Vermont, has always loved the diversity and the freedom in the U.S. She said she doesn’t understand why Americans elected Trump, but doesn’t plan to stop visiting unless she senses any physical danger.