Almost 4,600 fewer people went to the US in March compared with the same time last year, according to government data
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Australians are increasingly avoiding travel to the US under Donald Trump’s second presidency, fresh data shows, with forecasters expecting tourist numbers to plummet further throughout the year.
Official statistics from the US International Trade Administration reveal the number of visitors from Australia in March 2025 was down by 7% compared with March 2024 – a reduction of 4,559 people.
This is the largest decline since March 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic was disrupting international travel.https://interactive.guim.co.uk/datawrapper/embed/4V7Tq/2/?dark=false
The figures – which count any visit of one or more nights – also show sharp drops in visitors from Europe and other areas, as countries updated their travel advice for the US. Overseas arrivals to the US from all origins dropped 11.6% in March, the government data showed.
The downturn in travel following Trump’s inauguration exceeded even the global tourism industry’s worst case predictions, according to travel analytics group Tourism Economics.https://interactive.guim.co.uk/embed/superyacht/index.html?location=safeharbour&key=178c09fe-90ad-4e92-b959-8179eb50c201&dark=false
Aside from the long-term weakness in the Australian dollar meaning more expensive holidays, a string of incidents with US border protocols since January may have left some reconsidering their destination.
Guardian Australia last week reported the case of an Australian man with a working visa who was detained and deported on returning to the US. The man alleged border officials called him “retarded” and boasted “Trump is back in town”.
Meanwhile, an award-winning Australian comedian cancelled a planned trip to the US after receiving legal advice that she could be stopped at the border due to her previous jokes about the Trump administration.
The incidents have prompted unease among Australian academics, many of whom are now refusing to attend US conferences for fear of being detained.
Gender-diverse Australians have also been warned they may face visa delays following Trump’s executive order on gender.
James Kavanagh, Flight Centre’s chief executive of leisure travel, said that while the US has long been a firm favourite for Australian travellers, “we must acknowledge the political environment in the US and the fact that it may influence Australians’ decisions on where they choose to travel”.
“For example, looking at the first quarter of 2024 [compared with 2025], while we’ve seen a slight decline in bookings to the USA, we’ve seen a significant uplift in bookings to east Asia and northern Europe,” he said.
Melissa Elf, global chief operating officer of Flight Centre’s corporate wing, said that while bookings from Australian business travellers had so far remained “resilient”, the introduction of tariffs could see businesses look away from the US and to places such as “Asia and the Middle East”.
“It’s a very different landscape today compared to what it was at the beginning of the year, and we are conscious that major changes that have occurred in the US, and tariffs that are being applied to Australian companies may see corporates prioritise business and trade with other nations,” she said.
