New research shows 2025 tourism dip in North Dakota with early signs of momentum for 2026

North Dakota's latest Tourism economic impact report, prepared by Tourism Economics, shows the state's visitor economy dipped in 2025 amid a significant decline in Canadian travel. While overall visitation and spending saw decreases compared with 2024, the findings highlight the continued strength of the domestic travel market, and independent data points to early signs of momentum heading into 2026.

According to the research, North Dakota welcomed 25.6 million visitors in 2025, a 2.6% decrease from the previous year. Domestic travelers continued to make up most of the market, accounting for 88.4% of total visitation. International volumes declined sharply, driven largely by reduced Canadian travel following a 23.9% drop in border crossings reported in the state's annual travel update.

Visitor spending reached $3.4 billion in 2025, down 1.2% from 2024. On average, visitors spent $9.2 million per day in the state, with per-visitor spending averaging $132.

Tourism generated $5.6 billion in total economic impact and produced $304.4 million in state and local taxes. Without those visitor-generated revenues, each North Dakota household would need to pay an additional $919 in taxes annually. Tourism also sustained 6.5% of all jobs statewide, representing one in every 15 jobs.

"Destinations with significant international exposure, especially to Canada, welcomed fewer international visitors during increased trade tensions between the countries," said Tourism Economics Economist Christian Fonseca. "However, demand for domestic leisure travel supported growth in total U.S. visitation."

State tourism leaders say the findings highlight opportunities to elevate North Dakota's visibility and capture additional market share.

"While last year's declines were expected partially due to reduced Canadian travel and lower park visitation, the data also reinforce the strong return on investment that tourism provides," said North Dakota Department of Commerce Tourism and Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman. "Tourism Economics continues to show a clear link between marketing investment and higher visitor spending. With sustained, strategic investment, North Dakota can continue to grow market share and strengthen long-term economic impact."

Several positive indicators are already emerging for 2026, including:

• Canadian border entries increased in April for the first time in 15 months.
• Visitation to Theodore Roosevelt National Park is up 27.3% year to date through April.
• Short-term rental bookings in North Dakota are 18.9% higher than a year ago according to AirDNA.
• First-quarter taxable sales and purchases show growth in key tourism-related sectors, including a 1.4% increase in accommodation and food services and a 13.4% increase in arts, entertainment and recreation compared with the first quarter of 2025.

County-level data will be available in the coming weeks. See the statewide data here: Research and Reports.