California tourism leaders are grappling with a rapidly changing landscape for international travel as the war with Iran, high fuel prices and a strong dollar make for a challenging trifecta.
All of that on top of a new fee structure for Yosemite National Park that adds a $100 surcharge for non-U.S. residents.
It is gospel among local hospitality leaders that international travelers stay longer and spend more money than domestic travelers.
Visit California optimistically predicts international travel will rise nearly 3 percent, driven by travel to the FIFA World Cup matches in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Jonathan Farrington, CEO and Executive Director of the Yosemite Mariposa Tourism Bureau, said the industry has become less concerned about the new park surcharge.
The National Park Service is making a big marketing push for the non-resident American the Beautiful pass for $250 annually, by selling it as a value proposition because it covers entrance fees at 2,000 federal recreation sites.
“It adds a $170 cost over the past $80 fee,” Farrington wrote in an email.
“But when you factor in inflation, higher fees, fuel costs, gas and taxes, the increases do add up, making trips to the U.S. or domestic visits more expensive every year,” he wrote.
The trend lines from last year were already concerning.
International travel to California was down 6.4 percent last year compared to 2024, according to the National Travel and Tourism Organization (NITO) that compiles non-resident international air arrivals at all California ports of entry.
Some of the data offers an intriguing reflection of current geopolitics.
There were 1 million visitors from Canada to California last year, which is a 21 percent drop from the year before. The decline is likely due to continuing friction over tariffs and the frigid relationship between President Donald Trump and Canadian leaders.
There were 1.7 million travelers from Europe to California, down 7 percent from 2024.
The largest declines by volume were from the United Kingdom
(4.3 percent) France (9 percent) and Germany (15 percent).
But Denmark, which President Trump has routinely bullied over the sovereignty of Greenland, was down a whopping 24 percent.
All the Scandinavian countries posted steep declines in travel to California.
Asia remains California’s most vital international tourism funnel, with 2.2 million travelers in 2025, down 2.3 percent from 2024.
Travel from China was down less than 1 percent, while Japan was a bright spot, posting a 3.9 percent gain year-over-year.
Summarizing the numbers, Farrington sounds cautiously optimistic.
“Germany and the Nordics, Scandi remain lower, but Germany is rebounding. India and Mexico are coming on strong, and we’ll do more work in these markets,” he said.
“The good news for us is that there is only one Yosemite/ Mariposa County, and visitors from around the world want to experience what we have to offer, and we get to do it every day,” Farrington said.
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