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European travelers seek out smaller U.S. cities

Skipping New York for Nashville, other less obvious destinations

By: Doyinsola Oladipo
and Jonna Plucinka
Reuters

..... European travelers, nearly a year into President Donald Trump's administration, are popping up in less-heralded - and often more affordable - destinations in the United States like Tennessee, Montana and Idaho, while skipping hot spots like New York and Washington, D.C.
..... Even as tourism from Western Europe to the United States has dipped, less obvious destinations have seen an uptick in arrivals as tourists seek out classic American experiences, and airlines add flights to smaller cities.
..... Many travelers canceled trips to the United States this spring [2025] as Trump ramped up a trade war and at times lambasted Europe in harsh terms. From January to October, [2025] U.S. travel from Western Europe fell about 3.5% year-over-year, according to the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office.
..... But the trend varies by destination. The nation's capital of Washington, DC, along with New York and California are seeing fewer visitors, while Tennessee, home to Elvis Presley's Graceland estate, has welcomed 24% more people from Western Europe.
..... "New York is my prime, let's say destination. But as I've been there more often, I also really wanted to explore the rest of the U.S.," said Renee Oostdam, 34. from Zurich, Switzerland, who visited Nashville and Boston and took a road trip through Texas that included a rodeo.
..... "I just wanted to go to the iconic American places."

Larger cities take a hit as rural areas benefit

..... Part of the equation is cost. Average hotel rates in New York City were around $216 year-to-date in October [2025] compared to $176 in Nashville and $145 in Boise, Idaho, in the same period, according to CoStar, a data analytics firm.
..... European travelers tend to be more cost-sensitive than Americans, given cost-of-living crises and lower salaries. About 12 million Western Europeans visit the United States every year and contribute $39 billion to the economy, according to Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company.
..... "Some of the larger cities have taken more of a hit, if you will, than some of the more rural and lesser-known destinations," said Lisa Simon, CEO of the International Inbound Travel Association.
..... "We also hear a lot about high prices and high costs of traveling to the U.S."
..... Travel to Washington, DC, from Western Europe is down about 11% in the January-to-October [2025] period, while California and New York, which still receives the largest share of Western European Travelers saw 9% and 4% declines, respectively.
..... Meanwhile, Minneapolis is expected to see a 20% increase in travelers for the October-to-December [2025] period, according to Michael Yeomans, head of travel intelligence at Amadeus, a travel and tourism technology firm.
..... Yeomans added travel to Dallas and Boston are expected to increase 16% and 13% respectively. Miami and Los Angles both will see 7% fewer travelers, he said.
..... Travelers form Western Europe still represent 37% of international travelers to the United States and European carriers are optimistic the number of visitors will increase next year [2026] with the soccer world Cup held in North America, including in 10 U.S. states such as Missouri and Massachusetts - as well as the nation's 250th anniversary.

European carriers add routes to more U.S. destinations

..... British Airways has axed some of its U.S. routes, including one between New York City's John F. Kennedy International airport and London's Gatwick Airport, while also reducing flights to Miami. In April, [2026] the airline will launch service from London to St Louis.
...... German airline Lufthansa also plans ti seasonally increase service to the Midwestern city next year [2026] from three to five times a week.
..... Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, said better air connectivity from British Airways, Iceandair and Aer Lingus had driven a rise in tours arrivals. Flights from Europe to Nashville have almost doubled year-over-year to 665 in 2025, according to Cirium.
..... Ireland-based Aer Lingus said it has seen strong demand for travel to U.S. destinations beyond traditional gateways, according to a statement from ChiefStrategy and Planning Officer Reid Moody. "Demand for flights to Nashville have been encouraging and supports Aer Lingus; broader strategy of connecting Ireland and Europe with diverse U.S. cities," he said.

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