NTTO Releases Latest Arrival and Spend Numbers; Adjusts Forecast

Recent reports from the National Travel and Tourism Office shared international arrivals for March and the international traveler spend for February. Additionally, NTTO adjusted its forecast based on the declines experienced in the last few months. 

U.S.-international air traffic passenger enplanements totaled 22.5 million in March, down 0.5 percent compared to March 2024, with enplanements reaching 105.7 percent of pre-pandemic March 2019 volume. (Note: Easter was on March 31, 2024, and is on April 20, 2025, impacting March 2024 and March 2025 comparisons.)

Originating Non-Stop Air Travel in March 2025

Non-U.S. citizen air passenger arrivals from foreign countries totaled 4.5 million in March, down 9.7 percent compared to March 2024. This represents 87.3 percent of pre-pandemic March 2019 volume.

On a related note, overseas visitor arrivals totaled 2.4 million in March, which reached 83 percent of pre-pandemic March 2019 volume, down from 84.5 percent in February. (See March I-94 Advance Release) 

U.S. citizen air passenger departures foreign countries totaled 6.6 million in March, up 1.6 percent from March 2024. This exceeded March 2019 volume by 21.9 percent.

In its latest spending report, NTTO released February data: 

• International visitors spent nearly $22 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States during February, an increase of nearly 4 percent compared to February 2024.
• Americans spent nearly $22.4 billion traveling abroad during February, more than international visitors spent in the United States, yielding a $571 million balance of trade deficit for travel and tourism-related goods and services.
• International visitors spent more than $44 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services in 2025 (January and February combined), an increase of more than 6 percent when compared to the same period last year; international visitors have injected, on average, $745 million a day into the U.S. economy this year ($43 million a day more than last year).
• U.S. travel and tourism exports accounted for 23 percent of U.S. services exports during February 2025 and 8 percent of all U.S. exports, goods and services alike.

NTTO also released its latest forecast factoring in the arrival declines in the first quarter of 2025. Total international arrivals will continue to increase solidly over the next three years and will surpass pre-pandemic 2019 visitation in 2026. According to the forecast, total international arrivals will increase 6.5% to 77.1 million in 2025, rise 10.2% to 85 million in 2026, and grow 6% to 90.1 million in 2027. Read the complete forecast here.