U.S. and Spain Look to Live Tourism to Drive Travel in 2026

International travel to the U.S. and Spain are trending in different directions this year, with Spain seeing a record-high 66.8 million international tourists in the first eight months of the year while the U.S. inbound travel this year is expected to fall for the first time since 2020.

One major trend the destinations do have in common: Both Brand USA and the Spanish Tourism Institute are going all-in on live tourism, with events like Bad Bunny concerts in Spain and the FIFA World Cup in the U.S. expected to drive visitors in 2026.

“These cultural forces are so big, and they're going to continue to be big,” Fred Dixon, president and CEO of Brand USA, said at the Skift Transatlantic Summit.

How the U.S. Is Staying Competitive

The U.S. Travel Association projects roughly 68 million international visitors to the U.S. this year, down from 72.4 million in 2024.

Despite the sl