Something has shifted in the way people think about travel inside the United States. Once considered the pinnacle of travel dreams for many international tourists, the U.S. is facing a steep and accelerating decline in global visitorship in 2026. The reasons aren’t simple, and they aren’t all about politics. Safety fears, runaway costs, and the hard math of what you actually get for your money have pushed certain American destinations onto a growing list of places travelers are quietly – and sometimes loudly – crossing off their itineraries. Three cities in particular keep surfacing in travel forums, crime reports, and tourism data as destinations where the experience simply no longer justifies the risk or the expense.
1. Memphis, Tennessee – A City With World-Class Culture and Nation-Leading Crime
Memphis is genuinely remarkable. Blues history, Graceland, the National Civil Rights Museum, legendary barbecue – the cultural draw is real. The city welcomes more than 10 million visitors each year and is world-renowned as the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll. But the safety picture that surrounds it is difficult to ignore. 2023 saw Memphis hit a record high for homicides, ending the year with a shocking 397 murders. While some improvement has followed, homicides were 4% lower in the first half of 2025 than in 2024, but still 58% higher than 2019, with a rate of 20.6 per 100,000 residents.
Memphis has one of the highest crime rates in the United States, particularly concerning violent crimes, with a crime index of 74.8 and a safety index of only 25.2, according to Sirix Monitoring. The issue isn’t confined to one neighborhood. Downtown Memphis is a prime spot for sightseeing, but it is also one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city, meaning visitors should always be vigilant and avoid walking through the area alone, especially after dark. Violent crime rates in Memphis are a staggering 500% above the national average, with roughly 1,200 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Travelers willing to stick tightly to tourist zones and exercise constant caution may have a fine trip. Those expecting to explore freely should think carefully before booking.
2. Las Vegas, Nevada – Sin City Is Losing Its Value Proposition
Las Vegas built its entire identity around the promise of indulgence at a price almost anyone could afford. That promise has been quietly broken. Las Vegas just recorded its worst decline in annual visitation since the pandemic began, with a 7.5% annual drop in 2025 sparked by economic uncertainty, declining international visitation, and other headwinds. Las Vegas, a city that thrives on tourism, saw its biggest decline in visitors since the pandemic in 2025, as the total number of visitors dropped by approximately 3.1 million, bringing the number of visitors to around 38.5 million for the year – the lowest since the recovery from the pandemic began. The numbers aren’t a blip. They reflect a fundamental rethinking by travelers about what Las Vegas is actually worth.
Cost is the central complaint. Higher room rates and resort fees have made a visit to Las Vegas more expensive, prompting many potential visitors to reconsider their plans, with many tourists now opting for more affordable destinations. Resort fees averaging between $44 and $57 have become major deterrents, prompting the mayor to emphasize the need to restore value offerings to attract tourists. International visitors have pulled back sharply too. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority estimated a 24% drop in the city’s biggest international tourism group – Canadians. MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas profit and revenue both fell in 2025, with Caesars reporting a 20% drop in profit. The city that once prided itself on being accessible to every kind of traveler is now being described, even by its own hospitality leaders, as having gotten “over its skis pricing-wise.”
3. New Orleans, Louisiana – Charm, Crime, and a Cost That Keeps Climbing
New Orleans draws millions with its jazz rhythms, food culture, and colorful festivals, yet its reputation for crime is also real, and the French Quarter buzzes with energy while late-night alleys or dim side streets demand serious caution. The city depends heavily on tourism economically, which is precisely why its persistent safety challenges are so consequential. New Orleans currently tops the list for property crime, particularly motor vehicle theft and burglary, with high tourism traffic, nightlife, and economic disparity creating ideal conditions for theft. Visitors arrive expecting Mardi Gras magic and often find themselves navigating a city where the line between vibrant and genuinely dangerous can shift within a single city block.
The broader national backdrop makes New Orleans harder to justify for hesitant travelers. In 2023 alone, the U.S. reported over 650 mass shootings, and a 2024 survey from Morning Consult revealed that 52% of international respondents consider the U.S. a “risky” or “dangerous” travel destination due to gun violence. New Orleans, with its combination of street-level crime and a tourism infrastructure that prices visitors heavily during peak events, sits squarely in that anxious conversation. Rising travel costs – from airfare and hotels to car rentals and everyday expenses – are putting additional pressure on both foreign and domestic travelers, and many tourists are rethinking long-haul trips and instead choosing more affordable destinations in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. For a city already asking travelers to accept elevated personal risk, the added financial burden has become one argument too many for a growing portion of the traveling public.
