Chile Surpasses Three More South American Nations in Stabbing US Tourism in 2026

Chile surpasses three more South American nations in contributing to declining US tourism arrivals in 2026, recording the largest visitor loss among the four affected markets. Chile sent 19,569 fewer travellers to the United States, a 9.7% decline, exceeding the numerical losses recorded by Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname. Together, these four countries contributed 35,280 fewer US arrivals compared with 2025. Rising travel costs, airfare fluctuations and changing travel budgets may have influenced demand, although the precise causes remain unverified. Despite these declines, overall South American arrivals increased by 5%, highlighting uneven travel patterns across the region.

Chile Leads South American Visitor Losses with 19,569 Fewer US Arrivals

Chile recorded 182,125 US visitor arrivals in 2026, compared with 201,694 in 2025, representing a decline of 19,569 arrivals, or 9.7%. The country accounted for approximately 55.5% of the combined visitor losses across the four declining South American markets. Chile is an established long-haul travel market, with international connections supporting journeys to major American destinations. Airfare fluctuations, exchange-rate movements, accommodation expenses and changing household budgets can influence travel decisions, particularly for trips requiring substantial expenditure. Nevertheless, the i-94 arrivals program figures do not identify which factors drove the reduction. Chile’s decline is notable because its numerical loss exceeded those of Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname individually.

Chile’s Decline Carries the Largest Numerical Impact

Chile’s 19,569-arrival reduction was nearly twice Venezuela’s loss of 10,134 visitors and almost four times Guyana’s decline of 4,938. The figures demonstrate how a larger source market can generate a substantial reduction in arrivals even when its percentage decline is less severe than those recorded elsewhere. Chile’s 9.7% contraction was smaller than the declines in Guyana and Venezuela, but its larger visitor base made the absolute impact greater. For US tourism businesses, this distinction matters because lost visitor volumes can affect airline demand, accommodation bookings and other services. However, the economic value of those lost arrivals cannot be calculated without country-specific spending data.

Venezuela Records 11.4% Decline as US Visitor Arrivals Fall Below 79,000

Venezuela recorded 78,671 US visitor arrivals in 2026, compared with 88,805 in 2025, representing a reduction of 10,134 visitors, or 11.4%. It was the second-largest numerical decline among the four South American markets. Travel between Venezuela and the United States takes place within a complex environment involving visa requirements, diplomatic relations and international aviation connectivity. Travellers may face additional planning considerations when direct flight options are limited or connections through third countries are necessary. These conditions provide relevant context for Venezuela’s travel market, but the available figures do not establish that they caused the 2026 decline. The reduction nevertheless indicates weaker US-bound visitor volumes.

Venezuela’s Decline Adds to Pressure on International Tourism

Venezuela accounted for approximately 28.7% of the combined 35,280-arrival reduction across the four declining markets. Together, Venezuela and Chile represented around 84.8% of the total numerical loss, demonstrating their importance to the overall contraction. The fall in Venezuelan arrivals may be relevant to US destinations with established South American travel connections, particularly major international gateways. However, visitor arrivals can include different travel purposes, such as leisure, business and family visits. Without information on visitor categories, airline capacity and visa issuance, it is not possible to determine whether the decline primarily reflects reduced tourism demand or other changes in cross-border travel.

Guyana Records Steepest Percentage Decline at 11.9%

Guyana registered 36,435 US visitor arrivals in 2026, down from 41,373 in 2025. The reduction of 4,938 arrivals represented an 11.9% decline, making Guyana the weakest performer by percentage change among the four countries. Although its numerical loss was smaller than those recorded by Chile and Venezuela, the sharper proportional decrease indicates a more substantial contraction relative to its previous visitor base. Travel between Guyana and the United States is supported by family connections, business activity and international aviation services. Ticket prices, flight availability and travel documentation requirements can affect demand, but the dataset does not establish their contribution to the reported decline.

Guyana’s Smaller Market Faces a Sharper Proportional Reduction

Guyana accounted for approximately 14% of the combined visitor losses across the four South American countries. Its 11.9% decline was 2.2 percentage points steeper than Chile’s 9.7% reduction and 0.5 percentage points greater than Venezuela’s 11.4% contraction. This distinction is important because percentage changes can be particularly pronounced in smaller visitor markets. A reduction of several thousand arrivals may have a substantial effect on a country’s overall US-bound travel performance without producing the same numerical impact as a larger market. For airlines and tourism operators, the decline warrants examination of route performance, travel demand and passenger booking patterns.

Suriname Sees 8.6% Decline as US Arrivals Fall to 6,819

Suriname recorded 6,819 US visitor arrivals in 2026, compared with 7,458 in 2025, representing a decrease of 639 arrivals, or 8.6%. It was the smallest numerical reduction among the four declining South American markets, reflecting Suriname’s comparatively limited visitor base. International journeys from Suriname can involve connecting flights, making travel schedules, journey duration and ticket costs relevant considerations. However, the available data does not identify whether these factors contributed to the decline. Although the loss of 639 arrivals is modest compared with Chile’s 19,569, the 8.6% contraction indicates a measurable weakening in Suriname’s reported US-bound visitor activity.

Suriname’s Visitor Market Remains Small but Economically Relevant

Suriname accounted for approximately 1.8% of the combined 35,280-arrival reduction. Its smaller contribution means that changes in this market have less influence on overall South American arrival totals than movements in Chile or Venezuela. Nevertheless, smaller source markets can remain commercially important to specific airline routes and travel businesses. Suriname’s 8.6% decline was the least severe percentage reduction among the four countries, while Guyana recorded the steepest fall at 11.9%. The differences illustrate why both percentage changes and absolute visitor losses are necessary when assessing the performance of international source markets.

South American Countries Recording Declines in US Visitor Arrivals: 2026 vs. 2025

Source: i-94 arrivals program South American visitor arrivals dataset comparing 2026 with 2025.

Chile Accounts for More Than Half of Four-Market Visitor Losses

The combined figures show that Chile was responsible for approximately 55.5% of the 35,280 lost arrivals across the four declining markets. Venezuela contributed 28.7%, Guyana accounted for 14%, and Suriname represented 1.8%.

Chile’s numerical decline exceeded the combined losses of Guyana and Suriname, which together recorded 5,577 fewer visitors. It also surpassed Venezuela’s reduction by 9,435 arrivals.

However, Chile did not experience the steepest percentage decline. Guyana’s 11.9% reduction was larger proportionally, followed by Venezuela at 11.4%, Chile at 9.7% and Suriname at 8.6%.

The distinction demonstrates that Chile led the four countries in absolute visitor losses rather than the rate of decline.

South American Arrivals Rise 5% Despite Declines in Four Countries

The broader South American market recorded growth despite the reductions from Chile, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname.

According to the the i-94 arrivals program dataset, total arrivals from the listed South American markets increased from 3,071,627 in 2025 to 3,225,033 in 2026, representing a gain of 153,406 visitors, or 5%.

Colombia recorded one of the largest increases, rising 16.5% to 671,622 arrivals from 576,545. Ecuador registered 292,999 arrivals, up 21.7% from 240,809.

Brazil remained the largest source market, generating 1,120,871 arrivals, compared with 1,112,528 in 2025, representing 0.7% growth. Argentina increased 2.6% to 510,197, while Peru recorded 218,937 arrivals, up 5.4%.

These gains outweighed the reductions from the four declining countries, showing that South American travel demand was not contracting uniformly.

Rising US Travel Costs Add Pressure to International Visitor Demand

The declines come amid a challenging period for the broader US inbound tourism industry.

According to the US Travel Association’s Fall 2026 Travel Forecast, international inbound visits are projected to decline approximately 0.7% to 67.8 million in 2026, following a 5.5% reduction in 2025.

International visitor spending is forecast to fall 6.3%, from approximately $174 billion in 2025 to $163 billion in 2026, representing a reduction of around $11 billion.

Travel prices are also expected to increase 7.2%, compared with a general inflation rate of 3.4%, potentially affecting international travellers’ holiday budgets.

For South American visitors, long-haul airfare costs, accommodation expenses, currency movements and travel documentation requirements can influence the affordability and convenience of visiting the United States.

However, the available country-level data does not demonstrate that rising costs caused the declines recorded by Chile, Venezuela, Guyana or Suriname.

What the Declines Mean for US Tourism in 2026

The latest figures show that Chile, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname collectively generated 35,280 fewer arrivals compared with 2025, with Chile accounting for the largest numerical reduction.

The four-market contraction occurred alongside growth in Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina and Peru, allowing the overall South American total to increase by 5%.

For US tourism businesses, the mixed performance demonstrates the importance of understanding individual international source markets rather than treating South America as a single travel market.

Chile’s loss of 19,569 arrivals made it the largest contributor to the four-country decline, but the wider South American market continued to grow. The available figures establish the scale of the reductions, while their underlying causes require further evidence from airline schedules, visitor surveys, travel costs and official arrival statistics.

Chile surpasses three more South American nations in US tourism arrival losses in 2026, recording 19,569 fewer visitors amid weaker travel demand, although the causes remain unclear.

In conclusion, Chile surpasses three more South American nations in contributing to US tourism arrival losses in 2026, recording the largest numerical decline among the four markets examined. Chile registered 19,569 fewer visitors, representing a 9.7% reduction, while Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname also experienced declining US-bound travel. Together, these countries recorded 35,280 fewer arrivals compared with 2025, highlighting weaker visitor demand from selected South American markets. Although rising travel costs, airfare fluctuations and changing holiday budgets may influence international travel decisions, the specific reasons behind these declines remain unverified. Meanwhile, overall South American arrivals to the United States increased by 5%, supported by stronger performances from Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and other countries. These contrasting trends demonstrate the uneven nature of international tourism demand and the importance of maintaining competitive travel connections, affordability and destination appeal across the US tourism industry.

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