Impacts from the decline in international visitors to the United States continue to be felt throughout the travel industry.
Walt Disney is reporting a drop in international visitors to its U.S.-based theme parks, according to Reuters. The entertainment giant cited “headwinds” among such visitors, but did not provide any further details.
Walt Disney CFO Hugh Johnston has said that the company will pivot to focus its promotional efforts on U.S. consumers. as it has “less visibility” into international visitors.
News of sluggish international tourists sent Disney’s stock share prices downward
nearly 5 percent Monday. “The share price drop is very much to do with
the parks business,” Ben Barringer, head of technology research at
Quilter Cheviot, said according to Reuters. “Its size means it
ultimately matters more and thus will move the market.”
At the same time however, Disney’s experiences unit, which includes Disney’s parks, cruises and
consumer products, generated $10 billion
in revenue for the December quarter. That translates to 72 percent of the company’s quarterly operating profit of nearly
$5 billion.
The Disney developments follow similar fallout being felt by the U.S. hotel industry, which has been experiencing a drop in international guests since January 2025. Data from hotel analytics firm STR shows that hotel occupancy declined for the ninth consecutive month in November 2025 (the most recent data available), dropping 2.8 percent year over year to 57.9 percent.
International arrivals to the United States declined 6 percent in 2025, at the same time that global tourism recorded a 6.7 percent rise in spending, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC.) Tourists are increasingly opting for European countries, such as Spain and France, as well as Japan, per Reuters.
All of these developments follow a growing number of countries issuing advisories surrounding travel to the United States. That includes Canada and several European nations.
Most recently, Germany issued new, heightened guidance for its citizens regarding travel to the United States. The update comes in response to the violence taking place in Minneapolis, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials continue to occupy the city.
New visitor fees rolled out by the Trump Administration, such as the $250 ‘visa integrity fee’ introduced in 2025 and this year’s increased $100 surcharge at national parks for non-U.S. residents, are not helping matters. Similarly, plans for increased scrutiny of foreign tourists, including a proposal to look at five years of visitors’ social media history, may be dampening enthusiasm among international source markets.
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