United States National Parks See Noticeable Drop in Visitors from Canada, U.K. and Australia
Data suggests international tourism to American parks is contracting as overseas arrivals slow and travel barriers rise
Visitor numbers to United States national parks have shown a discernible decline in recent months from key international markets including Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, reflecting broader trends in international travel to the U.S. that are emerging in late 2025 and early 2026.
Preliminary figures from federal travel data indicate that international arrivals to the United States have decreased compared to the previous year, with notable contractions in visitation from Oceania — which includes Australia — and Western Europe, where the U.K. is a major source market.
For November 2025, arrivals from Australia were down more than twelve percent year on year, while arrivals from the United Kingdom also declined.
Arrivals from the broader Oceania region showed a significant year-over-year slump, contributing to pressure on demand for travel to national parks and other attractions.
These declines form part of a wider pattern in which total overseas arrivals dipped over consecutive months in late 2025, slowing the pace of the tourism industry’s post-pandemic recovery.
Declining visitation from Canada has been particularly pronounced.
Data shows sharp drops in Canadian travel to the U.S., including both land crossings and air travel, affecting tourism flows into national parks that traditionally attract significant numbers of Canadian visitors.
Surveys of Canadian travelers have pointed to hesitancy about U.S. travel that is shaped by economic considerations, perceptions of safety and policy shifts, influencing destination planning and contributing to lower bookings.
The slippage in international tourists comes amid a backdrop of new policies and costs for foreign visitors to U.S. parks, such as higher entry fees for non-U.S. residents at a selection of major park sites, which industry observers say may be contributing to shifting travel decisions and dampening demand.
With international travel a valuable revenue stream for regional economies and park concessionaires, the trend is prompting tourism stakeholders to adapt by placing greater emphasis on domestic visitation and initiatives designed to sustain engagement with U.S. outdoor destinations.
Although the overall national park system has experienced record aggregate visitation in recent years, the reduction in international arrivals — particularly from Canada, the U.K. and Australia — highlights evolving patterns in global tourism demand and underscores challenges for America’s travel sector in recapturing overseas markets as it transitions into a new phase of recovery and competition for visitors.