State tourism entities have begun to react to this scenario. For example, the organization Visit North Carolina has launched specific campaigns to promote domestic tourism, aware that international visitors may take longer to recover. In addition, some states are revising their promotional messages, adapting them to highlight safety, ease of access, and attractions beyond the major urban centers. The aim is to diversify the tourism offer, adapt to new travel expectations, and counteract the effects of a less dynamic international market.
A change is also evident in global competition: other traditional tourism destinations are strengthening their positioning, which reduces the competitiveness of the U.S. market. This increased pressure, along with the aforementioned internal perception factors, is speeding up a strategic rethink within state tourism offices, which are now seeking to differentiate their offerings in order to maintain and increase visitor flows in a more demanding environment.
Tourism experts point out that one of the key elements will be how quickly states manage to adjust their marketing campaigns, redefine tourism products, and respond to new traveler profiles. The approach can no longer be simply “come to the U.S. because we are the U.S.”; instead, it must emphasize tailored experiences, local authenticity, accessibility, safety, and good value for visitors. In this sense, domestic tourism takes on an even more central role, and boosting it can help cushion the decline in international visitors.
However, the challenge is substantial: financial room for maneuver is limited in some states, and the competition to attract tourists is global. Pressure on infrastructure, the need for innovation in tourism products, and the management of destination perception are becoming essential tasks. Moreover, the combination of external factors—such as exchange rates, geopolitical tensions, or shifts in travel patterns—underscores that recovery will not be automatic.
In short, the decline in international tourism to the U.S. is forcing a moment of reckoning: destinations can no longer rely on “autopilot” and must instead adopt more active destination management. Adaptation, segmentation, quality of experience, and smart promotion have become key concepts. In this context, destinations that manage to innovate and connect with travelers through attractive, well-targeted proposals will be able to mitigate the impact, while those that cling to the same old strategies risk seeing their share of visitors and economic returns deteriorate over the long term. In sum, U.S. tourism is entering a phase of transition, and those who take the initiative will have the advantage.
