Report: U.S. tourism faces early-year slowdown

U.S. TOURISM SPENDING is presently lagging behind 2023 and 2024 levels, which were boosted by strong post-pandemic travel demand, according to Bank of America credit and debit card data. The bank’s data showed a decline in
lodging, tourism and airline spending.

Bank of America’s report, “Yellow light for travel: US domestic tourism taps the brakes,” found that through March 22, lodging and tourism-related services were down about 2.5 percent from last year, while airline spending dropped
roughly 6 percent.

Poor weather, a late Easter and weak consumer confidence may be contributing to the slowdown, the report said. However, Bank of America analysts remain cautiously optimistic, noting that softer travel spending may signal
a “yellow light” rather than a “red,” as households grow more hesitant to plan major trips in the near term.