“Travelers make choices: where and when to travel, when to book, and how long to stay and importantly, perceptions of the US matter. Sentiment-headwinds are negatively impacting inbound travel in our latest inbound forecast update (May 12 interim update), we maintain our expectations of a 8.7 percent decline in US international arrivals for the year overall (compared to a 9.4 percent decline in our prior forecast released March 27). Factors contributing to sentiment: Headwinds include Trump administration posturing and policy announcements, such as ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs across long-standing trade partners, as well as media coverage focusing on border security incidents and national travel advisories. We continue to expect the largest declines in visitation from Canada (-20.2 percent) and Western Europe (-5.8 percent). We forecast international visitor spending to fall $8.5 billion (-4.7 percent) relative to last year (compared to a 5.0 percent decline in our prior forecast),” says data firm Tourism Economics in a forecast released Friday.