Will $250 ‘visa integrity fee’ price America its vacationers? Travel consultants elevate purple flag

Amid a 3.1% year-on-year decline in worldwide arrivals in July, right down to 19.2 million guests in line with United States authorities knowledge, resulting from Trump’s immigration insurance policies and hostility towards some international international locations, the brand new $250 ‘visa integrity price’ imposed on vacationers to the US might additional harm the struggling journey business, Reuters reported.

It marked the fifth month of decline this yr, defying expectations that 2025 would see inbound guests surpass the pre-pandemic stage of 79.4 million.

The new visa price, set to take impact on October 1, introduces one other barrier for vacationers from non-visa waiver international locations like Mexico, Argentina, India, Brazil, and China. The extra cost brings the entire visa price to $442, making it one of many highest on this planet, in line with the US Travel Association, a commerce group.

What do consultants say?

 “Any friction we add to the traveler experience is going to cut travel volumes by some amount. As the summer ends this will become a more pressing issue, and we’ll have to factor the fees into travel budgets and documentation,” Reuters quoted Gabe Rizzi, President of Altour, a worldwide journey administration firm as saying.

International customer spending within the US is predicted to drop beneath $169 billion this yr, down from $181 billion in 2024, the World Travel & Tourism Council believes.

In December 2024, Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics consultancy, projected that abroad journey to the US would rise by over 10% in 2025. However, in line with Aran Ryan, director of business research at Tourism Economics, it’s now anticipated to say no by 3%.

The new visa price is predicted to have the best impression on Central and South American international locations, which have been a uncommon brilliant spot for US journey this yr, as per the report.

As of May, journey from Mexico to the US had elevated practically 14% in 2025, in line with the National Travel and Tourism Office. Arrivals from Argentina have been up 20%, and from Brazil by 4.6% year-to-date. Overall, journey from Central America grew by 3%, and from South America by 0.7%, in distinction to a 2.3% decline from Western Europe, the Reuters report talked about.

It added that in China, arrivals have remained sluggish because the pandemic, with July numbers nonetheless 53% beneath 2019 ranges. The visa price additionally poses a problem for journey from India, the place visits have dropped 2.4% this yr, largely resulting from an 18% lower in scholar arrivals. For some, the rise in charges will merely be considered as a further price on prime of an already costly journey to the US.

The new visa price provides to the damaging notion of the US underneath Trump, whose immigration insurance policies, international support cuts, and wide-reaching tariffs have diminished the nation’s enchantment as a journey vacation spot, regardless of main occasions just like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics developing.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration proposed new rules aimed toward shortening the length of visas for college kids, cultural change guests, and media personnel.

Additionally, in early August, the administration introduced a pilot program, beginning on August 20, that would require bonds of as much as $15,000 for sure vacationer and enterprise visas. This programme, set to final a couple of yr, is designed to handle the problem of tourists overstaying their visas.

(With inputs from Reuters)