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It was once said that if you want to take the pulse of the United States, you don’t read the political polls, you check the airport departure boards. The latest numbers from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) prove the point.

The NTTO has now released the Q1 2025 results of its Survey of International Air Travellers (SIAT), that long-running statistical opus which has been quietly humming away since 1983, collecting more data than most airlines could dream of. And the verdict? Inbound visitors are slipping, outbound Americans are striding, and Easter continues to play havoc with comparisons.

Inbound: Slowing, But Still Strong

Between January and March 2025, the United States welcomed 10.4 million international visitors by air. That included 652,000 arrivals from Mexico, 2.6 million from Canada, and 7.1 million from overseas markets.

So far, so good—except that the total represents a 4.8% drop from Q1 2024. Before we panic about America losing its global appeal, the NTTO gently reminds us that Easter fell on 31 March last year but on 20 April this year. Holidays matter, and in travel statistics, they matter a lot.

Still, the source markets reveal a fascinating picture. The United Kingdom led the charge with 799,000 visitors, followed closely by Brazil (479,000), Japan (451,000), India (441,000), and China (406,000). These top five accounted for more than a third of all overseas travellers.

Where did they go once they landed? No prizes for guessing: Florida topped the state rankings with 3.2 million visitors, ahead of New York (2.1 million), California (1.9 million), Nevada (880,000) and Texas (733,000). Collectively, these five states cornered 85% of inbound air visitation.

And for cities, it was the classic roll call: New York City (2.0 million), Miami (1.6 million), Orlando (1.5 million), Los Angeles (1.0 million), and Las Vegas (865,000). Between them, they captured two-thirds of all inbound air travellers — proof that the tried-and-true destinations still dominate.

Trips were hardly fleeting. The average overseas visitor lingered 15.25 days, Mexicans about 9.2 days, and Canadians 7.56 days. When they opened their wallets, overseas travellers spent an average of US$1,656 per trip, while Mexicans parted with US$1,276 and Canadians US$929.

Outbound: Americans On the Move

While inbound cooled slightly, the outbound market flexed its muscles. 16.3 million Americans flew abroad in Q1 2025, up 2.5% on the previous year.

Of those, 803,000 went north to Canada, 3.8 million south to Mexico, and 11.7 million set their sights on overseas destinations further afield. The dominant states of residence? California (1.9 million), Florida (1.4 million), New York (1.0 million), Texas (773,000), and New Jersey (679,000).

When it came to Mexico, Californians again dominated with 736,000, followed by Texans (498,000), Illinoisans (302,000), New Yorkers (223,000), and Washington State residents (211,000). Canadians, for their part, were treated to visits mainly from California (175,000), New York (121,000), Texas (76,000), Florida (53,000), and Massachusetts (38,000).

But the overseas destinations tell perhaps the most interesting tale. The United Kingdom drew 949,000 Americans, followed by the Dominican Republic (750,000), Japan (726,000), France (679,000), and Italy (562,000). These five accounted for nearly a third of all overseas trips.

Like their inbound counterparts, Americans didn’t dash back home. On average, they stayed 16.1 days overseas, 7.9 days in Mexico, and 7.7 days in Canada. They also spent generously: US$1,858 abroad, compared with US$1,071 in Canada and US$1,032 in Mexico.

Why It Matters

If the NTTO’s SIAT survey proves anything, international travel is an eternal see-saw. While inbound dipped in early 2025, outbound picked up. The top markets remain familiar: the UK, Brazil, Japan, France, and Italy. Yet the patterns of length and spending show travellers are staying longer and spending more per trip.

These numbers are golden for policymakers and tourism boards. They shape marketing campaigns, airline route planning, and airport architecture. For industry watchers, they confirm that the United States remains both a magnet for international visitors and a nation of prolific outbound travellers.

The SIAT, in operation since January 1983, continues to serve as the statistical backbone for America’s travel industry. NTTO makes the data available via online visualisation tools and downloadable reports — a treasure trove for anyone needing to separate signal from noise in the ever-evolving world of air travel.

As for travellers themselves? They probably don’t give a fig about surveys, provided their flights are on time and their luggage isn’t left in Newark. But the rest of us — airlines, airports, hoteliers, and analysts — are poring over every number.

The Bottom Line

Inbound travel to the US softened, outbound travel grew, and the eternal transatlantic ties with Britain remained as robust as ever. Florida, New York, and California remain the stars of inbound, while Americans are happily spreading their wings across Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.

The message is clear as the NTTO continues to crunch the numbers month by month: the US travel story remains one of scale, resilience, and endless fascination.