What Will It Take to Reach 100 Million International Visitors by 2030?

Earlier this month, leaders from the U.S. tourism industry emerged from a White House meeting with an ambitious new goal of attracting 100 million international visitors by 2030. The current record is nearly 80 million visitors in 2018, although we are months away from learning the full impact of The World Cup, America250 celebrations, and a strong summer of travel.

US Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman is embracing the challenge.

“Getting to 100 million would result in $81 billion in additional spending, more than 400,000 American jobs and millions more people coming here, experiencing America for themselves and telling their friends and family that they should do the same,” Freeman said in a statement after meeting with President Trump. “The American people are the best ambassadors we have. Let’s give them the opportunity to show our great country off.”

Here are three opportunities to increase travel.

Rely on Business Events

Trade show veteran Robyn Davis, author of Exhibit Smarter and industry consultant, says business events add ROI that can sway a traveler to get on the plane. She notes the desire for bleisure experiences is a long-time trend that is only gaining popularity.

A business trip is an excuse to spend two to three days in a certain destination, and with the right marketing and planning, organizations can encourage much longer stays in the host city or regionally. This can also lead to spouses or family members coming along.

Step 1 is showing the love to these would-be participants, whether they are exhibitors, delegates, or have another role. “I work with a number of large, international trade shows and one thing I've noticed all of those successful events have in common is that they genuinely care about their exhibitors, along with their other participants,” says Davis. “These organizers listen to their exhibitors and empower them to achieve their goals, so that, together, they can better serve their shared audience (the attendees and industry overall).”

By putting business first, everyone wins. As Davis notes: “A trade show may be an international visitor's first experience in the U.S. The way we include them, and entertain them, sets the tone for whether they'll extend their stay or choose to return, and what they'll tell others about our country.”

Look North

If the U.S. is going to increase its number of visitors, it needs to stem the tide with Canadians.

In August, visitation from our neighbors to the north remained down 27% compared to August 2024, driven by fewer trips by car (-27%) and by air (-23%). The ongoing tariff war is not likely to help matters.

Of course, destination marketing agencies are at the mercy of geopolitics. The best they can do is be as welcoming as possible. And it’s to their credit that the tourism industry has remained so strong despite a significant drop in usually reliable visitors.

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill told Nevada’s economic forecasters last week that the positive numbers may not be sustainable. “Frankly, it’s not necessarily what we would expect to see going forward,” he said, according to The Las Vegas Sun.

Vegas is in a bit of tourism slump despite booming convention and meetings business. The Sun reports that a s of August 2026, the destination’s visitor volume is down 3.5 million to 4 million compared with 2019, when a record 42.5 million visitors came to the city. Canadian tourism — considered to be the city’s largest source of international visitation — has dropped 30% since 2019. “It is a big portion of what’s missing in Las Vegas here right now,” he said

Lean In on Sports

This is an avenue many destinations are already taking. The World Cup brought a great wave of optimism, and special sports events like F1 and IndyCar races in major cities gave DMOs a chance to shine. “We expect sports to be a key driver,” said Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO of Destination DC.

There are some built-in advantages from the sports industry. The Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028, and Oklahoma City, St. Louis, and other destinations will also host competitions. The Paralympic Games should also be a big draw. And while it won’t help with the 2030 goal, the U.S. will also host the Women’s World Cup and Winter Games in the next decade.

Youth and amateur sports can mean big business too. Houston, for instance, will host the 2028 UCI BMX Racing World Championships, an event that is expected to bring 3,000 amateur participants and 300 professional athletes from over 40 countries. In 2030, Houston will host the 2030 World Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships, which regularly draw more than 8,000 athletes ages 35 and older from more than 100 countries.

Meanwhile, D.C. is among the cities developing housing and entertainment districts around sporting venues, a trend made famous in Detroit and Atlanta. Such developments encourage longer stays and more spending.