China-U.S. Visitors Numbers Rise, But India Levels Head Down
Photo Credit: A traveler going through immigration at a U.S. airport Customs and Border Protection Operations / Rawpixel
Skift Take
The U.S. may be regaining Chinese visitors, but it’s losing ground with higher-spending Indian travelers – and the Trump effect is in force.
After years of struggling to recover, Chinese inbound travel to the U.S. is showing signs of life. New figures show that last month was the strongest February for inbound travel from China to the U.S. since before the pandemic.
The data for February, taken from the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) and analyzed by Skift, represents a positive uptick for travel between the two countries, ahead of President Donald Trump’s delayed meeting with Xi Jinping.
Although January data on incoming travelers from China to the U.S. painted a worrying picture, with Chinese arrivals to the U.S. dropping nearly 20% compared to January 2025, things are looking up again with February bringing 36% year-on-year growth . So far this year, China is the second biggest Asian source market for international travel to the U.S., and fourth biggest global market.
source: NTTOThe increase in the number of Chinese travelers visiting the U.S. this February ma
