Even Disney can't outrun the international travel slowdown

• Disney reported "headwinds" in international visitation to its US theme parks.
• International visitors to the US declined in 2025, especially from Canada.
• Disney said it was focusing its marketing on domestic visitors to offset international decline.

Looks like even "The Most Magical Place on Earth" isn't enough to entice foreign travelers who are skipping the US.

Disney is facing some "international visitation headwinds" at its parks in the US, which include Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, the Walt Disney Company said in its first-quarter earnings report on Monday.

Despite the slowdown in international visitors, the company reported growth in its experiences segment, with visitation at its domestic parks up 1% in the most recent quarter.

Hugh Johnston, Disney CFO, told analysts on a call that the company has less visibility into international visitor trends than domestic because foreign travelers tend to stay in non-Disney hotels, but that there were other indicators international visitation was down.

"As a result of that, we pivoted our marketing and sales efforts, promotional as well as marketing efforts to a more domestic audience, and we're able to keep attendance rates high from that perspective," he said.

Disney's just the latest American company to feel the slowdown in foreigners traveling to the US.

International visitation was down for the eighth straight month in December, according to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office. As of October, the number of international visitors to the US was down 5.5% in 2025 compared to a year prior.

Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International, a market research consultancy that specializes in the travel tourism industry, said visits from Canada especially declined, but that there were also significant declines in visits from countries like Germany, France, and India.

Canadian visits to the US were down 22% year-to-date as of October compared to a year prior, according to NTTO data.

"We have an image problem right now with our Canadian neighbors to the North and, as evidenced with some other countries, we have an image problem in some of our key international feeder markets as well," Eylon told Business Insider.

His firm's research has found a majority of Canadians say American trade policies and political rhetoric are deterring them from visiting the US in the next 12 months. Many also say they do not feel like the US is a safe place to visit.

Canadians also typically make up a significant portion of international travel to Florida, so Eylon said Disney likely isn't the only destination in the Sunshine State feeling the slowdown.

Travelers seeking to avoid the US also have other options when it comes to experiencing Disney. Disneyland Paris is fully owned by the Walt Disney Company, while the company has minority ownership in the Disney resorts in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Disney has no ownership in Tokyo Disneyland, which operates under a licensing agreement.

Disney also benefited from consistent demand in domestic leisure travel, with Americans continuing to prioritize travel, Eylon said.

Anna Abelson, an adjunct professor at New York University's Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, said the slowdown in international visitors to Disney underscored a broader industry shift.

"Even 'bucket list' icons are navigating significant macroeconomic volatility, ranging from currency fluctuations to shifting geopolitical sentiments," Abelson told Business Insider.

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