US travel in the first half of 2025 was anything but predictable – an erratic Trump Administration, reports of stricter border controls, cost of living concerns and a fluctuating Aussie dollar all played a part in unsettling many American holiday plans. But how exactly did travel to the US fare from January to June, not just anecdotally, but in pure numbers?
According to new data released by the US International Trade Administration (TRA), 468,474 Aussies arrived in the US during the first six months of the year, compared to 478,245 over the same period in 2024. This reflects a slight two per cent drop.
June drop
However, in what US tourism authorities will be hoping is just a blip, June 2025 Aussie visitor numbers fell by a massive 10 per cent to 86,053 (from 95,776 in June last year) after tracking at a similar pace over the first five months of the year.
“Overall, I’ve found that enquiry levels for US travel are down compared to previous periods,” says Fiona Gent, a Mobile Travel Agent (MTA) Personal Travel Specialist.
Gent says she’s also seen a notable change in who’s going and where they visit.
“The interest that is coming through tends to be from repeat travellers rather than first-timers, which is influencing the types of trips being planned,” she told Karryon.
“With fewer first-time visitor enquiries, there’s been a clear shift away from the traditional gateway cities and iconic attractions like LA, New York and Disney.
“Instead, travellers are seeking more focused, culturally rich itineraries – destinations like Memphis and New Orleans are generating interest, but still, as a whole, the US has certainly declined compared to Europe and Asia in terms of demand.”
Luxury travel advisor Geoff Currie says that traditionally, the vast majority of his business is for bespoke FIT itineraries in Europe, where “everyone is still interested and keen to go, all year round”.
But it’s a different story for US travel.
Looking ahead, Currie says he currently only has a few bookings for the remainder of 2025.
“That’s all I have for the year to the US,” Currie tells Karryon. “None of my clients are interested… or want to visit the US while the current administration is in office.”
Gradual gain
It’s not all negative news for American tourism, however.
In its latest Travel Trends Report, the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) stated that US visits grew by nearly five per cent (4.8%) year-on-year for the 12 months to May 2025, from 711,390 visitors to 715,490.
“The USA remains popular with outbound travellers,” ATIA Director of Compliance and Membership Nina Hedges said upon the report’s release this week.
In an interview with Karryon in late April, Chris Watson Travel Group Owner Chris Watson said his business hadn’t seen any “major changes” to US travel.
“In fact, we’re the opposite – demand has increased for the US,” he explained. “For us, with more flight availability and cheaper prices, we’re actually going to have a record year into the US, which is fantastic.”
Elsewhere, Helloworld Travel wholesale divisions, VIVA Holidays and ReadyRooms, saw a surge in US business during FY25, reporting a healthy 48 per cent rise in bookings. Bookings in early July grew even more, with a 77 per cent increase for the first half of the month.
“Right now, we are seeing a clear message that the appetite for leisure travel to the US continues to be strong,” Helloworld Travel CEO and Executive Director Cinzia Burnes said.
“Even with mixed global perceptions, the booking activity we have seen over that last 12 months and more significantly the last two weeks, is suggesting that Australians are continuing to have an enthusiasm for US travel experiences.”
Globally, visitor numbers to the US (excluding arrivals from Canada and Mexico) dropped slightly (-1.2%) from 16,118,519 in H1 2024 to 15,920,724 in H1 2025.
