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‘Devastating’ $4B Drop in Foreign Tourism to NYC Expected Under Trump

A major industry group is forecasting a 14 percent reduction.

New York City is bracing for a major cut in tourism revenue as a result of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, changes to visa rules, and frayed relations with Canada. The city is expecting a $4 billion shortfall this year, with about 2 million fewer visitors from abroad. The data comes from research conducted by NYC Tourism + Conventions, which shared its results with the New York Post. Its CEO, Julie Coker, told the paper: “Although international visitors make up 20% of total visitation, they account for approximately 50% of all visitor spending, making them essential to New York City’s economy. Combined, this downward revision represents an estimated loss of over $4 billion in direct spending.” Just last year, NYC Tourism + Conventions announced that the city had fully recovered from the effects of COVID-19. Speaking to the Post, tour guide operator Matt Levy of Spread Love Tours said: “There is an absolute real-world decline in tourism and revenue due to Trump’s tariffs, and aggressive posting towards our friendly northern neighbors.”