10 U.S. Cities That Are Hot Travel Destinations — And 5 Cities That Are on the Decline

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The U.S. travel industry has seen mixed results so far in 2025, with slight gains in spending and air travel offset by problems tied to federal budget cutbacks and the 43-day government shutdown.

Total U.S. travel spending is projected to grow 1.1% in 2025 to $1.35 trillion, according to a recent report from the U.S. Travel Association. Meanwhile, data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) shows that revenue passenger miles on airlines increased less than 1% during a 12-month period ended in August 2025.

Despite the sluggish overall growth, some U.S. cities and airports have experienced a rapid increase in air travel.

For example, “secondary” airports such as Washington Dulles International and Orlando Sanford International are seeing double-digit passenger growth due to a rise in budget travel, according to a new report from Locals Insider.

Locals Insider used BTS data and a nationwide survey to determine the most (and least) popular destinations for American and international travelers. Here’s a look at 10 emerging U.S. travel hot spots, based on growth in air travel passengers between January and July 2025.

Knoxville, Tennessee

• Airport: McGhee Tyson
• 2025 rise in the number of passengers: 120,131
• Percentage change YOY: +13.5%

Washington, D.C.

• Airport: Washington Dulles International
• 2025 rise in the number of passengers: 628,250
• Percentage change YOY: +10.9%

Providence, Rhode Island

• Airport: Rhode Island TF Green International
• 2025 rise in the number of passengers: 116,837
• Percentage change YOY: +10.6%

Sanford, Florida

• Airport: Orlando Sanford International
• 2025 rise in the number of passengers: 91,011
• Percentage change YOY: +10.3%

St. Petersburg, Florida

• Airport: St Pete Clearwater International
• 2025 rise in the number of passengers: 77,049
• Percentage change YOY: +9.6%

San Francisco, California

• Airport: San Francisco International
• 2025 rise in the number of passengers: 1,017,469
• Percentage change YOY: +8.7%

Greer, South Carolina

• Airport: Greenville-Spartanburg International
• 2025 rise in the number of passengers: 58,851
• Percentage change YOY: +7.5%

Albany, New York

• Airport: Albany International
• 2025 rise in the number of passengers: 57,796
• Percentage change YOY:  +6.8%

Portland, Oregon

• Airport: Portland International
• 2025 rise in the number of passengers: 294,596
• Percentage change YOY: +6.3%

Boise, Idaho

• Airport: Boise Air Terminal
• 2025 rise in the number of passengers: 84,004
• Percentage change YOY: +6.0%

On the other end of the spectrum, these five cities have seen major declines in air passenger traffic. The list below does not include metro areas with more than one major airport (e.g. Chicago and Oakland/San Francisco), because in some cases one airport has seen a rise in traffic while the other has seen a drop.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

• Airport: Myrtle Beach International
• 2025 decline in the number of passengers: -112,433
• Percentage change YOY: -9.7%

Syracuse, New York

• Airport: Syracuse Hancock International
• 2025 decline in the number of passengers: -81,362
• Percentage change YOY: -9.2%

Charlotte, North Carolina

• Airport: Charlotte Douglas International
• 2025 decline in the number of passengers: -1,481,191
• Percentage change YOY: -8.8%

San Jose, California

• Airport: Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International
• 2025 decline in the number of passengers: – 274,896
• Percentage change YOY: -8.5%

 Milwaukee, Wisconsin

• Airport: General Mitchell International
• 2025 decline in the number of passengers: -132,605
• Percentage change YOY: -7.2%

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