Los Angles, California, USA: The number of Indians traveling to the United States saw a steep decline in June 2025, the first drop in over two decades outside of the pandemic years.
According to figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), about 210,000 Indian nationals visited America in June, down from 230,000 during the same month last year. This represents an 8% year-on-year decrease. Early estimates for July also show a similar slowdown, with arrivals slipping 5.5% compared to July 2024.
The downward trend reflects a wider slump in global tourism to the U.S. NTTO reported that foreign visitor arrivals fell 6.2% in June, 7% in May, 8% in March, and 1.9% in February. Only January and April recorded growth, at 4.7% and 1.3% respectively.
Despite the decline, India still stands as the fourth-largest contributor of international travelers to the U.S.. When excluding neighboring Canada and Mexico, India ranks second only to the United Kingdom, with Brazil, China, and Argentina among the other top source markets. Together, the top five countries made up nearly 59.4% of total arrivals in June.
The slowdown poses challenges for America’s tourism industry. Major destinations like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Buffalo have already reported notable drops in tourist inflows. Analysts point to a combination of tighter travel regulations, global economic tensions, and stricter visa policies under President Donald Trump’s second term as key reasons behind the decline.
Further strain is expected with Washington’s plan to introduce a “visa integrity fee” of $250, which will raise the average cost of a U.S. visa to around $442. Longer processing times and stricter eligibility checks are also likely to discourage travelers from non–Visa waiver nations, such as India, Brazil, China, and Argentina.
