US travel is being pulled in two directions at once: fewer international visitors, but those who come are spending more than ever. Those were among the headline findings from Brand USA Travel Week in Amsterdam, where more than 350 US travel brands met hundreds of buyers and media. With the theme ‘Building Tomorrow’s Demand’, the event offered a snapshot of an industry adapting to shifting politics, prices and technology.
Fewer visitors, bigger spenders
Travel to the United States has declined significantly, with some markets down by as much as half, and weaker demand from Canada, the UK and Europe weighing on totals. Yet the visitors who do come are spending an average of $4,277 per person, softening the blow for hotels and attractions. Destinations are responding by working harder to stay visible and reassure travellers, according to the National Geographic Traveller (UK) report from the event.
Road trips and new US travel routes
Air connectivity between Europe and the US keeps expanding, opening gateways beyond the traditional coastal hubs. The classic American road trip remains the most researched experience among European visitors, who increasingly want to combine several states in one journey. High prices remain the biggest barrier for budget-conscious travellers, and new UK rules on price transparency in booking add another consideration for the trade. More travel-industry analysis appears in our blog section.
Beneath the headline trends sits a complicated political backdrop. Delegates acknowledged that international sentiment toward the United States has become a factor in travel decisions in a way it rarely was before, and destinations are learning to market themselves as distinct from national politics — cities, parks and regions rather than the country as a whole. The spending figures offer reassurance: travellers who do come are treating the trip as a major occasion, staying in better hotels and booking more experiences. The industry’s task, as one speaker put it, is converting that demonstrated willingness to spend into a willingness to come at all.
AI plans, humans inspire
Travellers aged 30 to 45 emerged as the most receptive audience for US trips, and the industry is courting them where they plan: on social platforms and, increasingly, through AI tools. Artificial intelligence is now a common starting point for itineraries, though delegates noted its suggestions can lack local insight. The consensus from Amsterdam is that technology will plan the trip, but people — creators, guides and locals — will still inspire it.
US tourism’s challenge is not desire but friction: price, perception and paperwork. The industry’s answer, on this evidence, is better routes, richer trips and a warmer welcome mat.
