The US government has released its preliminary visitor numbers for December, showing that Australian visitation to the country fell by more than 10 per cent for the month. But it’s not all doom and gloom for US travel.
According to the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) – part of the government’s International Trade Administration (ITA) – 90,839 Australians arrived in the US during the month, a 10.2% drop compared to the 101,115 who arrived in December 2024.
With the decline, the US has experienced its seventh consecutive month of negative growth in Australian visitation. But where does this put US-bound travel for the entire year? Down, but not as bruised as you might think.
According to the NTTO statistics, 958,574 Australians visited the States over the course of the year, a 6.5% decrease from the 1,025,011 who visited in 2024.
Considering the unpredictable, if not turbulent, 12 months the nation experienced under the second Trump Administration – a year which saw politics, protests and polarisation unsettle the country – the decline in visitor numbers is not as dramatic as you might expect.
However, given the rise in popularity of shorter-haul and more affordable destinations – particularly in Asia – it’s a trend that US tourism authorities will want to reverse as quickly as possible. And it might be able to, given that more Australians travelled overseas than ever before last year. In 2025, Tourism Research Australia (TRA) data predicted that short-term resident returns would rise by 8% to 12.6 million trips, despite challenges such as cost-of-living pressures and geopolitical events.
Chatting to Karryon in December, Aussie travel advisors reported a drop in American travel enquiries, but some said the allure of the US remained the same and were hopeful of a rebound in demand.
Cost of closure
Meanwhile, the US Travel Association has revealed the cost of the US government shutdown to the economy, showing that the 43-day closure wiped US$6.1 billion (around AU$9 billion) from economic activity.
The new analysis claims that travel was among the hardest-hit sectors as the country recorded 88,000 fewer trips each day, hitting airlines, hotels and destinations nationwide.
KARRYON UNPACKS: While Australian travel to the US cooled in 2025, it hasn’t been a full-blown retreat. Demand is shifting, not disappearing, as Aussies reassess timing, value and where America still delivers memorable experiences for travellers. One thing’s for sure, it’ll be a space many Aussie travellers will be watching closely at the start of 2026.
