Chart of the week: Travel from Arab countries to the US declines

Tighter border policies under US President Trump appear to be threatening tourism

The number of travellers visiting the US from Arab countries has fallen sharply, as tighter border policies under US President Trump threaten tourism and travel ties with the region.

In February, the number of overnight visitors from Arab countries dropped by 9.5 per cent compared to the same month last year, according to figures from the US International Trade Administration. Yemen recorded the steepest fall, with a year-on-year drop of 21 per cent. Kuwait and Lebanon followed closely, each down by 19 per cent, while Syria and Egypt saw declines of 13 per cent, and Saudi Arabia by 11 per cent. Additional preliminary figures from March 2025 reveals that some visitors from other regions have dropped even further such as as -17% drop of European foreign tourists.

Not all regional travel trends followed this pattern. Israeli visitors arriving on visas for overnight stays rose by 25 per cent in February compared to the previous year. Numbers spiked even higher in late 2024, up 71 per cent in November and 45 per cent in December. Many are believed to have travelled amid the continuing Israeli-Hamas war.

Meanwhile, travel from Iran dropped dramatically, down 30 per cent in February, a sharp reversal from December’s 46 per cent surge just before Mr Trump’s inauguration.

A report from Tourism Economics paints a broader picture: inbound travel to the US is now expected to fall by 5.5 per cent this year, revising earlier forecasts of nearly 9 per cent growth. If tariff and trade tensions escalate, international tourism could shrink even more, potentially wiping $18 billion (£13.8bn) off the US economy this year.

Even Canada, the largest source of international visitors to the US, is scaling back. Air Canada has announced it will cut flights to several American holiday destinations, including Las Vegas, starting in March as demand weakens.