(Bloomberg) – New York authorities have reduced their forecast for the number of international tourists this year by 17%, stating that the rates imposed by President Donald Trump and their rigid immigration policies are discouraging visitors.
The city now estimates that it will receive 12.1 million foreign travelers in 2025, a drop from December, which was 14.6 million, according to a report released on Thursday (8) by the city’s Tourism Agency, New York City Tourism and Conventions. In total, authorities expect 64.1 million visitors, a 3.5 million reduction compared to the previous estimate.
The decrease in the expected foreign visitors is, of a “divisive policy” and the “high profile arrests” of immigrants, said Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, a tourism consultancy.
“Undoubtedly, the effects of prices and available income rates are real,” Sacks said at a press conference to discuss the report.
The change in forecasting occurs amid a broader trend of falling in the number of foreign visitors in the US. The number of people who traveled from abroad fell 2.4% in February compared to the previous year and fell 11.6% in March, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. In California, state authorities warned this week about a 9% drop in foreign visits this year due to the negative global feeling about Trump.
A drop in foreign visitors would damage a part of the city’s economy that showed strong postpandum recovery signs, when travel restrictions and lockdowns devastate the city’s leisure and hospitality industries. International visitors spent $ 23 billion in 2024, according to the city’s controller, Brad Lander. They usually spend more time and spend more money than domestic visitors, tourism officers said.
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The largest sources of foreign visitors are the United Kingdom and Canada. Visits to the New York area from Canada from air from the air fell 7% in the first four months of 2025, totaling 900,000, compared to the same period of 2024, said Glenn Hollister, Vice President of Strategy and Sales Effectiveness at United Airlines Holdings Inc.
New York also expects fewer domestic visitors this year than previously predicted, reviewing its 53 million forecast to 52 million.
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