London, April 16 (QNA) – The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has reported a decline in international visitors to the United States, alongside a slowdown in growth across the country’s travel and tourism sector.

According to a report released on Thursday, the number of international arrivals to the United States fell by 5.5% in 2025 compared with the previous year.

The council said the contribution of travel and tourism to US gross domestic product grew by just 0.9% in 2025, a sharp slowdown from 4.1% growth recorded in 2024. Tourist spending also dropped by 4.6%, reaching $176 billion.

Despite the decline, the United States remained the world’s largest tourism market in 2025.

The report also highlighted stronger performance in other regions, noting that China—the world’s second-largest tourism market—recorded a 9.9% increase in travel and tourism GDP over the past year.

It added that competition from fast-growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China, is intensifying. However, the United States retained its global lead, accounting for 22.67% of global travel and tourism GDP in 2025, compared with China’s share of nearly 15.09%. (QNA)