Fewer bookings: US tariff policy slows down hotel industry
The total volume of hotel bookings since the beginning of the year has fallen by 5.35 percent compared to the same period last year. US bookings fell by more than ten percent.
Hotelhub draws conclusions from approximately four million hotel bookings for the first half of 2025. While booking numbers remained relatively stable in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, the winds changed significantly in the second quarter of 2025. The USA itself felt the effects of the US government's volatile tariff and trade policies most acutely: Total bookings at US hotels fell by 10.65 percent compared to the first six months of 2024. In the second quarter of 2025 alone, booking numbers fell by 13.24 percent compared to the second quarter of 2024.
Worldwide uncertaintyThe uncertainty emanating from the US also impacted booking behavior in other countries. For example, the UK, which recorded growth of 7.15 percent via HotelHub in the first quarter, closed the first six months of 2025 with a decline in total bookings of 1.41 percent compared to 2024. In France, bookings also declined by 1.53 percent by the end of June 2025 – despite a 3 percent increase in the first quarter. And Germany even recorded a decline of 8.33 percent in bookings via HotelHub.
The top ten business goals and what they cost| USA | -13.14 percent | 212 USD | -0.63 percent |
| France | -5.88 percent | 163 USD | +4.26 percent |
| Great Britain | -8.92 percent | 218 USD | +0.92 percent |
| Italy | -0.99 percent | 157 USD | +5.15 percent |
| Germany | -14.86 percent | 166 USD | +1.22 percent |
| Canada | +5.13 percent | 171 USD | -2.48 percent |
| Australia | -2.19 percent | 153 USD | 0 percent |
| India | -9.9 percent | 118 USD | +8.23 percent |
| Sweden | -6.08 percent | 164 USD | +6.96 percent |
| Mexico | -15.93 percent | 110 USD | -5.43 percent |
Source: Hotelhub
Only two countries defied the trend and saw significant growth in the first half of this year. Canada, which has also been subject to disproportionately high tariffs since Trump's impeachment, saw bookings increase by 5.13 percent in the second quarter compared to the second quarter of 2024, resulting in total bookings increasing by 7.24 percent in the first half of the year. Norway performed even better: bookings increased by 9.71 percent in the second quarter compared to the second quarter of 2024. This brings total bookings for the current year to 20.79 percent.
(thy)
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