Seattle’s tourism boom is colliding with a real visitor slump
Seattle and King County welcomed 40 million visitors in 2024, and visitor spending hit $8.8 billion, according to Visit Seattle. Those numbers explain why city leaders still talk about tourism as a pillar industry.
But the mix is changing fast. Seattle is now facing a sharp drop in international overnight visitors, even as domestic travel holds up.
Canada was Seattle’s international engine
Visit Seattle says Canada delivered 1.7 million visitors in 2024, accounting for about 73% of Seattle’s international visitation. Canadian visitors also led international spending at about $585.6 million.
That’s why this downturn lands harder here than in many U.S. cities. When one market supplies most of your international traffic, any pullback shows up quickly in hotels, restaurants, and retail.
Border numbers show how quickly the flow changed
Border crossings for passenger vehicles from Canada to Washington fell 24% in the first 10 months of 2025 versus the same period in 2024, Axios reported, citing a Joint Economic Committee report. That drop was steeper than the national decline cited in the same report.
The spillover is visible in travel operators too. According to local operators cited by KOMO News, the Seattle–Vancouver Island Clipper’s ridership declined by approximately 30% year-over-year, contributing to staff reductions.
Why Canadians are skipping Seattle right now
Tourism Economics and local operators have pointed to a mix of pressure points. Visit Seattle flags “policy headwinds,” including heightened visa scrutiny and new interview requirements, as part of the drag on international travel.
Axios also notes political tension and tariffs as factors cited in the committee report. Even small frictions matter when a trip is usually spontaneous and short.
The forecast is blunt, and it’s mostly about Canada
Visit Seattle cites a Tourism Economics forecast projecting a 26.9% decline in international overnight visitation in 2025. The same forecast described it as the steepest drop among major U.S. destinations. With reduced Canadian travel projected to account for 99% of that decline, the impact is highly concentrated.
That’s the core of the story. Seattle is not suddenly unattractive, but it is unusually exposed to one cross-border market.
Domestic travelers are keeping the lights on
Visit Seattle’s 2024 data shows most spending is still domestic. The organization reported $7.8 billion in domestic spending, roughly 89% of the total. That cushion is the main reason overall tourism hasn’t collapsed.
Local TV reporting adds another key detail. King 5 said 94% of 2024 visitors came from other U.S. states, not abroad.
Seattle built big tourism infrastructure anyway
Seattle’s waterfront overhaul wasn’t a small bet. Washington’s viaduct replacement projects, including the SR 99 tunnel, were estimated by WSDOT at about $3.35 billion. Those projects changed how visitors reach the waterfront and downtown.
The public-space side was also heavily funded. Reporting on the Waterfront Park effort cites $806 million in funded work for the Waterfront Park project. Big investments look different when international visitors pull back.
Overlook Walk is the city’s new “welcome mat”
Overlook Walk officially opened in October 2024. The city described it as the first pedestrian connection bridging the gap between downtown and the waterfront, built where the viaduct once stood. It also ties together Pike Place Market and the waterfront promenade in a way Seattle didn’t have before.
This matters because tourists follow ease. When walking routes feel obvious, visitors linger longer and spend more within a tight footprint.
The aquarium expansion is designed for foot traffic
The Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion opened in August 2024, adding a major new draw to the redeveloped waterfront. The aquarium promoted it as housing thousands of animals and plants, built around a reef ecosystem theme.
A smart detail is that some of it is visible without buying a ticket. Axios reported an outdoor viewing area with a large oculus window so passersby can see the habitat from the plaza.
Pike Place Market still anchors Seattle’s visitor map
Pike Place Market was established in 1907, and it remains Seattle’s most dependable “first stop.” Visit Seattle says the market draws about 10 million people per year, locals included.
That scale matters in a downturn. When international traffic softens, places with heavy local and domestic pull keep downtown energy from going flat.
Bainbridge is the easiest “add a day” trip
One reason Seattle still sells well to domestic travelers is how quickly the trip can expand. The Washington State Ferries Seattle–Bainbridge route lists a crossing time of about 35 minutes. That makes it a low-effort way to stretch a weekend without changing hotels.
For the local economy, that’s not trivial. Longer stays usually mean an extra dinner out, another museum ticket, and more retail spending downtown.
World Cup 2026 is the next big stress test
Seattle is preparing for a major surge tied to FIFA World Cup activity. Visit Seattle said Seattle and Washington state are expected to host up to 750,000 people engaging in matches and related events. That kind of temporary spike can lift hotels, short-term rentals, and restaurants quickly.
But it’s not a full replacement for year-round international travel. A one-time event helps cash flow and headlines, yet it doesn’t automatically rebuild a cross-border habit.
Seattle’s tourism problem is not demand, it’s the mix
Seattle proved in 2024 that it can draw people and spending at scale. The challenge now is that its most important international market is stepping back at the exact moment the city is unveiling expensive new visitor-facing infrastructure.
That leaves a clear question for 2026. Can domestic travelers and big events realistically fill the gap until cross-border travel normalizes again, or will Seattle’s tourism economy feel smaller than its investments suggest? Share your thoughts and your view in the comments.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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