International air arrivals to the United States fell 6.1% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, totaling 10.3 million visitors from April through June. This decline occurred despite the FIFA World Cup attracting an estimated 471,000 international air travelers to the U.S., according to the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO).
FIFA World Cup’s Limited Impact on Arrivals
The FIFA World Cup, starting on June 11, 2026, and co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, generated 471,000 international air visitors to the U.S. during Q2. These visitors comprised 4.6% of overseas arrivals, 10.3% of Mexican arrivals, and 1.9% of Canadian arrivals. NTTO also estimated
that approximately 374,000 overseas visitors traveled to the U.S. for the tournament using all transportation modes, including land and sea. However, this influx did not offset the overall downturn in international arrival numbers.
Declines Among Major Visitor Origins
Overseas visitors to the U.S. declined by 8.0% in Q2 2026 compared to the previous year. Canadian air arrivals decreased by 0.9%, while Mexican arrivals fell 0.5%. The overall drop in inbound travelers was notable despite the additional demand generated by the World Cup’s early stages captured in the quarter.
Concentration of International Visits in Key States and Cities
International visitors remained heavily concentrated in five states: Florida received approximately 2.7 million international air visitors, New
York had 2.6 million, California 2.2 million, Texas 924,000, and Nevada 846,000. These states together accounted for 85% of total international air arrivals in Q2 2026.
Among cities, New York City attracted around 2.6 million international arrivals. Miami had 1.3 million visitors, Los Angeles and Orlando each saw about 1.2 million, and Las Vegas received 829,000 international air travelers. These five cities comprised 64% of all international air arrivals to the U.S.
Key Overseas Source Markets and Visitor Spending Patterns
The United Kingdom led overseas source markets with about 1 million visitors during the quarter. India followed with 602,000 visitors, Brazil with 461,000, Japan with 423,000, and Germany
with 368,000. These five countries together accounted for roughly 35% of overseas visits.
Overseas visitors spent an average of $1,938 per trip and stayed 17.5 nights in the U.S. Canadian visitors spent an average of $1,129 and stayed 9.4 nights, while Mexican visitors spent $1,537 and stayed 9.5 nights on average. These differences reflect typical travel dynamics between long-haul and regional markets.
U.S. Residents’ International Travel in Q2 2026
About 20.7 million U.S. residents traveled internationally by air in Q2 2026, representing a 2.0% decrease from the year before. Of these, 15.9 million flew to overseas destinations, 3.1 million to Mexico, and 1.6 million to Canada.
Overseas
travel by U.S. residents declined marginally by 0.1%. Travel to Canada increased by 3.0%, while travel to Mexico decreased by 12.2%. Italy was the top overseas destination for U.S. travelers with approximately 1.8 million visitors, followed by the U.K. with 1.7 million, France with 1.4 million, Spain with 1.1 million, and the Dominican Republic with 937,000.
U.S. residents traveling overseas spent an average of $2,120 per trip and stayed 13.9 nights. Average expenditures for trips to Canada and Mexico were $1,273 and $1,101 respectively.
Background and Industry Context
The NTTO’s Q2 2026 data capture only the initial portion of the World Cup, which extends
into July, limiting full assessment of the event’s impact on international arrivals and hotel demand. The decline in overall international arrivals suggests that demand generated by large-scale sports events may be concentrated and insufficient to counteract broader declines in inbound travel.
International visitors’ geographic concentration highlights the reliance of major U.S. hotel markets in Florida, New York, California, Texas, and Nevada on overseas leisure and business travelers. Differences in visitor spending and length of stay emphasize the importance of international market composition for lodging demand beyond mere arrival volumes.
