International visitation to the Rochester metropolitan area fell 35.7% in 2025, a much steeper decline than the 2.5% drop recorded nationally, according to a new analysis of federal tourism data.
The region received an estimated 45,000 overseas visitors last year, ranking 94th among 122 major U.S. metropolitan areas included in the Luxury Link report. That was equal to 43 visitors per 1,000 residents and about 0.1% of all overseas visitors to the United States.
Luxury Link, an online luxury travel booking platform, said its researchers used data from the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration Survey of International Air Travelers. The metro figures cover full-year 2025.
The analysis excluded visitors from Canada and Mexico, meaning the Rochester estimate does not represent all international travel to the region. Only metropolitan areas with at least 25 survey respondents reporting travel to those locations were included.
Nationally, the report estimated 34.3 million overseas visitors in 2025, or 102 per 1,000 U.S. residents. Rochester's rate was less than half that national figure.
The report also found international travel spending has recovered to about its pre-pandemic level in current dollars but remains lower after accounting for inflation. U.S. travel and tourism exports totaled $20.9 billion in May 2026, compared with $20.3 billion in May 2019, but the 2019 amount would equal $26.6 billion in 2026 dollars, according to the analysis.
Luxury Link calculated per-capita figures using population data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates. The organization noted that location totals can overlap because travelers may visit more than one destination during a trip.
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