International travel to the United States took a sharp hit this summer, and new data suggests Ohio is not immune to the ripple effects.
A July 2025 analysis from The Kaplan Group found the U.S. welcomed nearly 625,000 fewer international visitors than last year. That nearly 9% drop translated into an estimated $2.6 billion in lost spending nationwide. Ohio alone saw an estimated $6.7 million in missing overseas tourism dollars for the month. While smaller than losses seen in major gateway states, the impact is still meaningful for an industry built on thin margins.
The biggest driver of the decline was Canada.
Canadian travel to the U.S. fell more than 31% year over year, accounting for more than four-fifths of the total drop in international visitors. While some regions, including Mexico and parts of Central America, sent more travelers, those gains were not enough to offset steep declines from Canada, Europe, and Asia.
Why does this matter locally? Tourism dollars do not just support hotels and attractions. They also flow into restaurants, retail shops, transportation services, and service jobs throughout the region. According to the report, cities that rely heavily on visitor spending and have large hotel footprints are more exposed to financial stress if the downturn continues.
Ohio is not among the hardest-hit states.
California and New York saw losses in the tens or even hundreds of millions. Still, the data underscores how vulnerable mid-sized markets can be when global travel slows. Analysts warn that prolonged declines could increase credit strain on tourism-dependent cities, especially if hotel occupancy and visitor spending fail to rebound.
For Columbus, the takeaway is less about alarm and more about awareness. International tourism remains volatile, and the effects can quietly show up in places you might not immediately associate with overseas travel, from downtown hotels to neighborhood restaurants that depend on convention and event traffic.
