US Tourism Hubs See Record Spending Despite Weak Inbound Travel

A Tale of Two Tourism Economies

America's tourism picture in 2025 is splitting in two directions at once. On one hand, several U.S. cities and states are reporting record-breaking visitor spending, driven largely by domestic leisure travelers. On the other, international inbound travel—the higher-spending segment that fuels much of the country's tourism export revenue—has been contracting, raising concerns about the sector's overall health heading into 2026 13.

Where the Records Are Being Set

Local tourism boards across the country are touting strong numbers for 2025. Durham, North Carolina, saw visitor spending climb to a record $1.17 billion, up 0.9% from $1.16 billion in 2024 2. Just down the road, Wake County and the city of Raleigh reported their own record year, with tourism generating $3.4 billion and supporting local businesses, attractions, and public services 5. At the state level, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin's successor, Gov. Spanberger, announced that state tourism spending hit a record $36.2 billion in 2025, with leisure travel accounting for a striking 90% of overnight visitation 4.

These figures suggest that domestic travelers—people driving or flying within the U.S. for vacations, weekend getaways, and family visits—are propping up local and regional tourism economies even as broader national indicators show softness.

The National Picture Looks Different

Zooming out to the national level tells a more complicated story. According to data cited from U.S. Travel, international inbound travel spending actually fell by 2.4% in 2025, totaling $175 billion, while the number of inbound international visits dropped by 6.3% 3. That decline matters because international visitors historically spend more per trip than domestic travelers and contribute disproportionately to travel-related exports. Broader coverage of U.S. tourism recovery notes that while travel exports have returned to roughly pre-pandemic dollar levels, inflation-adjusted figures paint a less optimistic picture, implying the industry hasn't fully recovered in real economic terms 1.

A Cautiously Optimistic 2026

Despite the rocky 2025 numbers for inbound international travel, forecasters are projecting a modest rebound. U.S. Travel's 2026 forecast anticipates a 1.6% increase in international inbound spending, pushing the total to approximately $178 billion 3. Industry observers are framing this as the start of a potential travel boom, though the projected growth remains modest relative to the losses seen the prior year.

What It Means

Taken together, the reporting suggests a bifurcated recovery: American cities and states are thriving on the strength of domestic leisure demand, while the international visitor segment—critical for high-value tourism spending—continues to lag. Local success stories in Durham, Raleigh, and Virginia illustrate resilient regional demand, but the national forecast underscores that a full, balanced recovery in inbound international tourism is still a work in progress heading into 2026.