The Vanishing Passport: Strategies to Revive or Replace International Travel

International Travel Climate

Some reports estimate that Canadian Travel to the United States was down 28% in 2025 compared to 2024. Canadian residents made about 22.9 million visits compared to 31.9 million the previous year with Canadian border states seeing the biggest drop. Automobile travel was hard hit down about 30%.

Various reports have overall international travel to the United States down 6-9% in 2025. There are a variety of reasons behind this including economic factors such as the strong dollar and inflation, border concerns with increased scrutiny and Visa hurdles, tariffs, and geopolitical tensions.

International Travelers are most often choosing alternate travel destinations within their own countries as well as Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. With the FIFA World Cup coming to the U.S. in the summer of 2026, we will see an improvement in these travel trends at least for June and July this year. Optimistically, the hope is when this segment eventually rebounds that it rebounds with a flourish making up for lost time.

Driving our Fair Share and More

While this segment of travel may be experiencing a decline there are still steps that we can take to assure that we are getting our fair share or more. Most International Travelers have a very attractive stay pattern and are staying several days or longer. Discounted long term stay rates or aggressive rate discounts wrapped around including a Sunday or other shoulder day are one way to help drive this business.

Additionally, value add packaging provides a “one stop shop” approach when you include elements such as an overnight stay, parking, breakfast, or other amenities then value price the package. Most brands have OTA Package rates where you can offer an additional discount on the room rate within the package. This is often bundled with air fare or a car rental that is also discounted making this a very appealing offer to travelers. OTA reporting often shows you which countries are the biggest international demand generators for your area, and you can target these countries through different OTA promotions for more share. Be sure to check that any promotions are brand sanctioned before pursuing.

Other Potential Avenues of Opportunity

Youth Sport Travel

With the International travel segment struggling it is wise to lean into other areas of business that are flourishing. Youth sport travel is a booming industry that saw significant growth in 2025 especially in girls’ sports and accounts for about 40% of the overall sports travel market. Many communities are investing in multi-use venues to capture this revenue which helps to support the hotel industry. Families often drive up to 8 hours by car to attend regional tournaments at these venues and often use overnight accommodations.

Offering family friendly amenities such as breakfast included, in room refrigerators and microwaves and a pool can help to drive more of this business to your hotel. Maintaining strong relationships with host venues to keep abreast of tournaments and staying in touch with sport tour booking agencies will also help to drive success in this segment. Please note that many of these agencies come with a commission or rebate so be sure to include that in your consideration.

College or University sports are also lucrative, and sport schedules are available online or through the college athletic departments. Reaching out to competing teams for their business could result in additional group business especially during slow times of the year or slow days of the week. These teams are often loyal and return year and after year. Breakfast is important and larger teams often need a meeting room to meet before the game. Larger teams also often have catering needs. Flexibility on room list cut offs and a late checkout are other key considerations.

Construction

While new construction leveled off somewhat in 2025 there is still potential here. Construction related to data centers and power continue to surge. A quick Google search will reveal potential sites for new data center construction and look for this upswing to continue for the next several years. Infrastructure work in areas such as Transportation also offers consistent possibilities for business. Local Government websites typically offer a list of infrastructure projects and the scope of the project including the dollar value and companies working on the different phases and their address. You can use this data to determine if out of town work crews are part of the project.

Commercial and Retail sectors of construction are trending down, but it is always a good practice to stay on top of new stores and restaurants coming to your area for business potential. Retail and restaurant construction often brings multiple layers of business for hotels starting with out-of-town crews to build the structure then any additional guests related to Management, Human Resources or Training as the new project is nearing completion. Staying on top of new development is key and can be done by staying in touch with local Permit Offices or permit websites. There are also services that will supply you with new construction leads for a fee. Many major Restaurant and Retail chains list new store development plans on their websites.

Retail and Restaurant Remodel Projects

Another avenue to explore is retail and restaurant remodel projects and many chains list these plans on their websites as well. These are a great target for construction business with companies remodeling several hundred to several thousand stores in one year. Many companies have their own crews that travel from site to site and stay for extended periods of time. Reward Points and a hot breakfast are typically hot buttons for these guests and microwaves; refrigerators or kitchenettes enhance the likelihood of securing this business.

Workation

“Workation” continues to be a thriving trend in our industry. These are typically employees travelling for work who incorporate some leisure or vacation activities into their trip arriving earlier or staying longer to accommodate this. This term can also be used to describe people who typically work from home who take advantage of their remote work model to work in a vacation setting. The upside of a workation is you can travel while making money. The downside may be less productivity. Most important to the workation guest is strong secure fast WIFI, long term rates or discounts and an ergonomic quiet work area. You can draw more of this business using targeted key words centered around the work leisure travel experience and by using testimonials from other workation guests.

Wellness Experiences

Many travelers are seeking wellness experiences these days looking for an opportunity to go off grid, relax and take a digital break. Guests are looking for personalized encounters that address their physical and/or mental well-being or give them a chance to let off some steam. Often these trips involve some type of nature experience, but can also include concerts, festivals, yoga, sound baths, meditation, massage, facials, and many other wellness activities. These activities are not necessarily required on site if they are convenient and located nearby. Concerts have become a steady source of demand, and the 2026 lineup looks promising thus far!

Hotel features that appeal to wellness travelers include sleep enhancements such as white noise machines, in room aromatherapy such as a lavender scent for sleeping and an on-site fitness center with yoga mats. Menus featuring healthy options, plant-based options and detox or herbal drinks provide perfect options for dining. Upgraded bathroom amenities that add a “spa” feeling further enrich the guests stay. A key consideration for wellness travelers (and many other travelers) is sustainability. Potential guests are looking toward hotels with “greener” practices such as energy efficiency, linen reuse, and waste reduction. In addition to “green” practices, partnering or packaging with local spas or wellness retreats is one way to appeal to these potential guests. Social media can also be used to promote wellness experiences.

Corporate Travel

Lastly, let’s not to rule out our loyal Corporate Travelers. With even more companies returning to an office environment or a hybrid office/home schedule more corporate travelers are hitting the road again. The 2026 corporate traveler has evolved into a more selective and tech empowered individual with the shift leaning toward quality, weighing the necessity of each trip and the value it delivers. Stays may be shorter than in the past with less frequent, but more efficient trips. Productive work environments with features such as reliable high-speed internet and ergonomic workspaces are key to staying competitive. Corporate travelers are also prioritizing personalization, in room technology and good sleep quality. Flexible cancel and deposit policies are vital in today’s competitive market due to schedule modifications, unpredictable weather, and airline changes.

Despite a decline in international travel, there are numerous prosperous alternative segments that offer growth potential for 2026. Opportunities vary by market and there are likely additional options based on individual markets that are not discussed above.

Focusing on these robust areas allows for the discovery of new, untapped opportunities. Leaning into these segments will secure our growth and help us to achieve our revenue goals for this upcoming year and beyond.

Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from www.HotelExecutive.com.