Airport Experience® News - Post-Conference Issue 2026

DATA CHECK

THE U.S. WELCOME MAT? Future Partners Data Shows Hesitancy From International Visitors

BY CAROL WARD

U.S. Opportunity: Interest in Visiting the U.S. in the Next 2 Years - 2025 vs. 2026 (Change By Market)

Interested in 2025

Interested in 2026

100

94.9%

91.3%

85.5%

80

84.2%

83.6%

81.7%

82.4%

78.3%

75.9%

75.3%

75.9%

71.3%

69.9%

68.6%

68.3%

66.1%

60

64.8%

64.4%

62.3%

58.4%

57.5%

58.2%

57.4%

57.1%

55.4%

54.5%

48.6%

40

42.9%

42.1%

39.1%

34.1%

20

24.6%

0

India

Brazil

Mexico

Argentina

China

Japan

Italy

United Kingdom

Colombia

South Korea

Spain

Canada

France

Germany

Australia

Netherlands

Future Partners Source: The State of the International Traveler 2026

he pool of travelers considering long-haul international trips to the United States is narrowing,

People from all major markets indicated less interest in visiting the U.S., but the interest gap was most pronounced in European countries and Canada. Just 42.9% of Canadians responding to this year’s survey expressed interest, down from 68.6% a year ago. Interest from travelers from France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands dropped by 20 or more percentage points in the survey for 2026, compared to 2025. In large measure, the negative change in perception of the U.S. overall was most pronounced in those same countries. A majority of survey respondents from Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, France, the U.K., Italy and Japan said their perception had declined. Conversely, a majority of 36.1% 25.3% 14.0%

T

according to new data released from Future Partners . Results from Future Partners’ The State of the International Traveler Study reveal clear shifts in how foreigners view travel to the United States. Across global feeder markets, both interest in and likelihood of visiting the U.S. show signs of softening. Only 36.1% of survey respondents said they are likely to visit the U.S. in the next two years, a sharp drop from the 53.2% of survey respondents who expressed likelihood last year. Those who stated they will not visit jumped to 14%, from 5% a year ago, and respondents who say they are unlikely to visit increased to 25.3%, from 16.9% in 2025. 47.2% 51.0% 49.2% 46.2% 53.2% 20.0% 18.1% 19.2% 22.2% 16.9% Unlikely to Visit

U.S. Opportunity: Likelihood of Visiting the U.S. in the Next 2 Years - 2018-2026 (Total Aggregate)

Likely to Visit

Will Not Visit

60%

50%

45.9%

44.2%

44.1%

40%

30%

23.2%

22.1%

22.5%

20%

10%

7.5%

7.2%

6

5.7%

5.9%

5.8%

6.9%

5.4%

5.0%

AX NEWS APRIL/MAY 2026 0%

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026