Foreign Travel to US Drops Significantly in March 2025

Business

Foreign visits into the U.S. fell off a cliff in March

Alex Fitzpatrick

Year-over-year change in passengers passing through U.S. customs

At the 10 busiest airports; Seven-day rolling average; Jan. 4 to March 28, 2025

A line chart displaying the year-over-year change in passengers passing through U.S. customs at the 10 busiest airports from January 4 to March 28, 2025.

In March, a notable trend appeared: more U.S. citizens arrived compared to the prior year (+13.9%) while fewer foreign nationals did (-18.4%).

[Data: Axios analysis of U.S.]

Customs and Border Protection data; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

Foreign arrivals into major U.S. airports tumbled in mid-to-late March compared to the same time last year, based on customs pass-through data.

Why it matters: The findings suggest a sudden reluctance to visit the U.S. isn't a purely Canadian phenomenon and should sound alarm bells for the country's $1 trillion-plus travel industry.