Home » Latest Travel News » Kentucky Joins Washington, Minnesota, Montana California, New York, and More as In Facing a Deline Over US Tourism for Eleven Succsive Months and Is Projected to Decline Until the End of 2025
Published on
December 21, 2025
Kentucky joins Washington, Minnesota, Montana, California, New York, and others in facing a decline in US tourism for eleven successive months. Projections suggest this trend will continue until the end of 2025 due to economic and seasonal factors impacting the tourism sector. While some months saw brief recoveries, the overall pattern reflects broader challenges across the nation, with fluctuating tourism numbers linked to shifting consumer behavior and external economic pressures. As states like Kentucky contend with these declines, there’s a pressing need to address these hurdles, adapt strategies, and focus on sectors that could drive future growth in the tourism industry.
Kentucky’s Economic Performance: A Year of Fluctuations
Kentucky’s performance in 2025 shows a blend of growth and challenges, with some months experiencing positive growth and others reflecting declines. January (+6.3%) and July (+6.0%) were standout months, while November saw a sharp decline of -16.1%. Overall, the state saw slight positive growth in the early months, but by mid-year, the numbers began to drop, with June (-5.1%) and September (-0.7%) seeing notable reductions. Kentucky’s diverse economy faces mixed results, and the data suggests the state will need to address ongoing challenges while capitalizing on seasonal growth in the tourism and business sectors.
Month2024 (K)2025 (K)YOY Change %JAN9411.0K+6.3%FEB861910+5.7%MAR839878+4.6%APR1.0K1.0K0.0%MAY9721.0K+2.9%JUN952903-5.1%JUL931987+6.0%AUG988951-3.7%SEP952945-0.7%OCT930917-1.4%NOV1.1K923-16.1%California’s Tourism: Modest Declines in 2025
California’s tourism industry in 2025 experienced modest declines compared to the previous year, with several months reflecting slight reductions in arrivals. January and April bucked the trend with small gains, but most months showed declines. June (-3.8%) and September (-2.6%) were particularly hard-hit, signaling challenges in peak travel periods. The overall decrease in arrivals from January to November 2025 was relatively small at -1.4%, suggesting that while California faced some setbacks, it managed to retain a significant share of the tourism market.Month2024 (M)2025 (M)YOY Change %JAN7.8M7.9M+1.3%FEB7.0M6.8M-2.9%MAR7.8M7.7M-1.3%APR7.7M7.8M+1.3%MAY7.9M7.8M-1.3%JUN8.0M7.7M-3.8%JUL8.5M8.3M-2.4%AUG8.3M8.2M-1.2%SEP7.7M7.5M-2.6%OCT7.8M7.7M-1.3%NOV7.6M7.5M-1.3%
Tourist Arrival Trends in New York
New York City saw a significant shift in tourist arrivals in 2025, reflecting a general decline across the board when compared to 2024. Although January showed a slight increase of +4.3%, several months, particularly in the summer and fall, witnessed sharp drops, with August alone down by -14.6%. The total number of tourist arrivals in 2025 from January to November stood at 29.8 million, marking an 11.0% decrease from the previous year. The data paints a picture of a tough year for New York’s tourism industry, with pandemic recovery challenges still impacting the city’s global appeal.
Month2024 (M)2025 (M)YOY Change %JAN2.32.4+4.3%FEB2.22.0-9.1%MAR2.72.4-11.1%APR2.82.5-10.7%MAY3.02.6-13.3%JUN3.32.9-12.1%JUL4.13.5-14.6%AUG4.33.8-11.6%SEP3.12.7-12.9%OCT3.12.7-12.9%NOV2.62.3-11.5%Total (Jan-Nov)33.529.8-11.0%Minnesota’s Monthly Performance: A Year of Mixed Results
Minnesota’s performance in 2025 reflects a blend of ups and downs, with certain months showing positive growth while others experienced declines. April and May were standout months, showcasing a +12.7% and +10.4% increase, respectively, while months like November saw a steep drop of -21.7%. The fluctuations in monthly performance reveal the impact of external factors on the state’s economy, especially as tourism and consumer spending continued to shift. Despite the negative overall trend for the year, Minnesota experienced a varied performance, offering some bright spots amidst challenges.Month2024 ($K$)2025 ($K$)YOY Change %JAN51.246.2-9.8%FEB42.738.3-10.3%MAR55.954.0-3.4%APR51.357.8+12.7%MAY51.156.4+10.4%JUN60.258.9-2.2%JUL66.468.5+3.2%AUG53.356.4+5.8%SEP40.939.1-4.4%OCT41.436.8-11.1%NOV42.333.1-21.7%
Washington’s Economic Shifts: A Challenging Year
Washington state experienced notable fluctuations in 2025, with some months seeing dramatic declines compared to the previous year. March stood out with a staggering drop of -22.7%, while July also saw a significant -20.0% decrease. However, there were some months of positive growth, such as January (+13.3%) and April (+1.3%). Overall, Washington faced a difficult year, reflecting broader economic trends that impacted consumer spending and tourism. Despite the losses, there were still areas of resilience, though the state will likely need to recalibrate for future recovery.
Month2024 ($K$)2025 ($K$)YOY Change %JAN883K1.0M+13.3%FEB954K826K-13.4%MAR1.2M928K-22.7%APR1.1M870K-20.9%MAY1.2M922K-23.2%JUN1.2M979K-18.4%JUL1.5M1.2M-20.0%AUG1.6M1.3M-18.8%SEP1.2M958K-20.2%OCT1.0M896K-10.4%NOV961K864K-10.1%Montana’s Tourism Decline: A Mixed Bag
Montana’s tourism sector in 2025 reflected both growth and significant losses across different months. January saw a positive start with a +5.7% increase, but this was followed by several months of steep declines, especially from March to August. The most significant drops occurred in May (-22.1%) and August (-21.6%). Despite these setbacks, the year wasn’t all negative, with Montana showing resilience in some months. The state’s tourism sector will likely need to adapt to new challenges as it aims to recover and capitalize on the positive momentum seen in the first few months of 2025.Month2024 ($K$)2025 ($K$)YOY Change %JAN63.4K67.0K+5.7%FEB70.3K61.0K-13.2%MAR81.9K66.5K-18.8%APR75.8K60.2K-20.6%MAY96.6K75.3K-22.1%JUN134K110K-17.9%JUL196K166K-15.3%AUG199K156K-21.6%SEP128K102K-20.3%OCT107K88.0K-17.8%NOV74.6K63.7K-14.6%
Kentucky joins Washington, Minnesota, Montana, California, New York, and others in facing a decline in US tourism for eleven successive months. Projections suggest this trend will continue until the end of 2025 due to economic and seasonal factors impacting the tourism sector.
Conclusion
Kentucky joins Washington, Minnesota, Montana, California, New York, and other states in facing a significant decline in US tourism for eleven successive months. With projections indicating that this trend will persist until the end of 2025, it’s clear that both economic challenges and seasonal factors are heavily influencing the tourism sector. As these states experience fluctuating tourism numbers, the ongoing decline underscores the need for strategic measures to boost recovery. Focusing on adapting to changing consumer behavior and addressing external pressures will be key in reversing this trend and fostering future growth in tourism across these states.
