Disney warns its theme park attendance could drop as foreign tourists stay away over Trump fears

Disney is warning that “international visitor headwinds” could lead to declining attendance at its American theme parks, as foreign tourists stay away due to fears about Trump.

Overseas arrival numbers dropped particularly sharply over the last few months of 2025, with September down 7.7 percent compared to the previous year, according to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office.

Canadians and Mexicans make up the bulk of tourism to the U.S., but travelers from those countries are increasingly staying away amid bellicose rhetoric from the president, who has threatened military action against Mexico and has called for the annexation of Canada to become the 51st American state.

In a statement to The Independent, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly did not specifically address whether the administration was concerned about the impact of the current international political climate on American companies, but said under President Trump, the U.S. was the “best place to live or visit.”

“President Trump has done more for American tourism than anyone, including by making our cities safe and beautiful again for all to enjoy and bringing major events like the Los Angeles Olympics and FIFA World Cup to the United States,” Kelly said. “His America First agenda has restored our country’s place as the leader of the free world once again.”

Despite the drop in park attendance, Disney still recorded higher revenues in the last quarter, it said on Monday, because while fewer visitors came through the gates, those who did were shelling out a higher guest spend at Disney’s theme parks and cruise ship businesses.

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In total, Disney reported net income of $2.4bn on revenue of $26bn. Also boosting profits was revenue from Disney’s streaming business, which rose 11 percent thanks in part to recent holiday hits including Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2.

Disney remained upbeat about its projections for this year, predicting modest growth in its experiences business in the current quarter and higher growth in the second half of the year after it launches its eighth cruise ship, the Disney Adventure. It also plans to repurchase $7b worth of its own stock this year.

But falling attendance at theme parks could be a warning sign, with Rich Greenfield, a veteran media analyst at LightShed Partners, telling the Financial Times that investors would be watching closely.

“I don’t think anyone owns Disney [stock] for any reason other than the theme parks now,” Greenfield said.

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Other locations have fared less well amid the downturn in international visitor numbers, with Las Vegas hit especially hard.

According to data from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, traffic for November — Las Vegas' busiest month — was down by 9.6 percent year over year, accounting for only 4.3 million passengers.

The most significant decline in travelers to Las Vegas was reported among Canadian airlines, with Air Canada's traffic to Las Vegas down 40 percent since last year.

In 2024, 28 percent of foreign tourists to the U.S. were Canadians. In 2025, that number was down to 23 percent, resulting in a $4b loss to the U.S. economy.

The NTTO estimated that every 40 international visits supported one U.S. job, so the sharp decrease in visitor numbers doesn’t just reflect people staying away; it also represents a likely loss of American jobs.

At a press conference in September, Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley begged Canadians to return: “I’m telling everybody in Canada, please come,” Berkley said at the time. “We love you, we need you, and we miss you.”

The U.S. was the world’s third-most-visited country in 2025, according to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council reported by Reuters, and remained the largest travel and tourism economy, even after a 7% dip in foreign tourism spending.

The dip in foreign spending was largely offset by increased spending by domestic American tourists, the WTTC said.