Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom were the top international travel markets for the United States in January 2025, helping push total visitor arrivals to over 5.6 million. This 4.7% increase from January 2024 brought the U.S. to 96% of its pre-pandemic visitor volume from January 2019.
New data released by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) paints a clear picture of a strong start to the year for both inbound and outbound travel. Mexico accounted for the highest number of international visitors at 1,677,399, followed by Canada with 1,410,272 and the United Kingdom with 235,115.
Overseas visitor volume to the U.S. totaled 2,522,578, reflecting a 5.4% increase year-over-year. Among these, the top five overseas markets were the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Korea, China, and Japan. Together, they played a key role in boosting the total international arrival count for the month. In fact, Mexico, Canada, the UK, China, and Brazil alone made up 66.2% of all international visitor arrivals.
Inbound Travel Trends Show Select Market Shifts
While most countries reported growth in visitor numbers to the U.S., some notable exceptions saw declines compared to January 2024. Canada reported an 8.1% drop, South Korea fell by 8.6%, and decreases were also seen from Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Chile.
The business travel segment was led by the United Kingdom again, with 51,848 arrivals, followed by India (36,348), Japan (32,293), Germany (27,690), and South Korea (21,534). As for international student arrivals, India led the pack with 75,040 students, ahead of China (71,078), South Korea (15,167), Brazil (10,452), and the United Kingdom (8,916).
Despite some softness in a few key markets, the overall rebound of overseas visitation signals that the United States remains a highly desirable destination for both business and leisure travelers from around the globe.
Outbound U.S. Travel Outpaces Pre-COVID Benchmarks
Americans were also hitting the skies in large numbers. Outbound travel from the U.S. by American citizens totaled 7,622,381 in January 2025—a 9.8% rise compared to the same period last year. Notably, this represents 117.4% of the volume recorded in January 2019, showing a complete recovery and then some.
Mexico again proved to be the most popular international destination for U.S. travelers, with 3,491,721 Americans visiting, accounting for nearly 46% of all outbound travel. The Caribbean followed with 899,107 departures. Together, Mexico and the Caribbean made up 57.6% of total international departures from the U.S.
Europe stood as the second-largest destination region for outbound travel, with 927,637 U.S. citizens traveling there in January 2025. That marked an 11.1% increase over January 2024 and suggests that long-haul travel demand remains strong, even during winter months.
Canada also experienced a resurgence, posting a 19.9% year-over-year growth in American visitors. North America continued to dominate the outbound market with a combined 53.8% share, while overseas destinations claimed the remaining 46.2%.
These January 2025 figures indicate that the travel and tourism industry continues to rebound steadily and that cross-border travel is once again a powerful force for economic engagement. Whether for vacation, business, or study, travelers are on the move—and the numbers show that the appetite for international experiences is stronger than ever.
