Discover New England News

NEW ENGLAND TOURISM UPDATE

August was the last New England industry update and the last month we received federal data before the shutdown. At that time, arrivals were tracking 2.8% down by long-haul international markets year over year and 26.1% down in Canadian visitation. New England reportings on the overseas I-94 FIA (first-intended address data) from the U.S. CBP shows growth in six of the top ten biggest markets, indicating a stronger share of arrivals coming straight to a New England state or prioritizing New England for their holiday.

Discover New England was hoping for better and bracing for worse. There is a bit of a sigh of relief from the fact that spending by overseas visitors by the end of summer 2025 tracked ahead of 2019, and arrivals were only 2.8% down and 0.3% better than the national average from 2024. These reports are better than expected; however, the industry isn’t in the clear yet.

New administrative policy and mandates continue to test the resilience of the USA tourism industry creating challenges to the domestic airline industry, workforce visa programs and the costs for nonimmigrant visas due to a new Visa Integrity Fee. Despite these challenges, Boston’s share of overseas arrivals compared to the rest of the United States has grown another 0.1% while JFK and Newark experienced declines. Continue reading...

READ FULL TOURISM UPDATE REPORT

UPCOMING TRAININGS

Adaptive Travel - From Hotels to Hiking Trails - Redefining Access Beyond the ADA

Virtual Webinar - Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 9:00 AM

Is your organization truly welcoming or just legally compliant? This webinar dives deep beyond the ADA checklist to explore the critical difference between legal requirements and genuine, lived accessibility. Join a dynamic panel of advocates—a wheelchair user, a blind professional, and a neurodivergent advocate—as they share their firsthand experiences. You’ll learn what true inclusion looks like for diverse needs across all environments, from hotel lobbies and indoor attractions to outdoor trails and recreational spaces.

Presented by

Enock Glidden, Athlete and co-founder of Outdoor Access Solutions
Shannon Columb, Owner of The Blind Naturalist
Alexandria Sukeforth, Co-Founder of Outdoor Access Solutions and Certified Support Professional

Discover New England & Miles Partnership Present 3-5 Year Strategic Plan Report and Recommendations

Virtual Meeting – Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 11:00 AM

Join Discover New England with research experts from Miles Partnership to present the results of the strategic planning study conducted by Miles Partnership and Coraggio. The study received strong feedback from stakeholders across New England through a questionnaire, direct interviews and an in-person listening session which guided the direction of the study. View the Executive Summary here. The full report will be shared following the presentation.

The State of International Travel – Looking Ahead to 2026

Virtual Webinar - Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 9:00 AM

Gain valuable insights into trends and opportunities shaping 2026.

Presented by

BrandUSA
Travel & Tourism Marketing (TTM), UK
Woodstock Communications, Ireland
Get it Across, Germany

Don’t Get Left in the Dust – Learn How Digital Transformation Leads to Short-Term Savings and Long-Term Success

Virtual Webinar - Tuesday, February 10, 2026

This webinar will feature NEW 2026 data insights, offering an exclusive look at the digital maturity of New England and the North American East Coast tourism industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable, actionable strategies to elevate your digital impact.

Presented by Karl Llewellyn, International Commercial Director at Wheresight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL TRAININGS & REGISTER

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

Shows & Sales Missions

Each year, Discover New England leads shows and sales missions to opportunity markets and invites four to six delegates from New England’s tourism industry to join. These missions consist of a busy schedule of events, meetings and trainings with leading members of the travel trade and media. Prices do not include hotel, airfare, food or other travel-related expenses. Space is limited and is reserved on a first come, first serve basis. Limit one delegate per organization/company. To learn more and reserve your spot, go to Events & Campaigns .

Holiday World, Dublin, Ireland January 23 – 25, 2026
This show has a dedicated media/trade day and then two days for consumers. Discover New England owns a corner booth that contains four individual stands. This year only, Holiday World is discounting the booth enabling a $2,000 savings per stand. The price per stand is ~~$3,500~~ $1,500 and all four individual stands must sell for this initiative to run. Partner price $1,200 - $300 additional savings.
Italy Sales Mission, January 26 – 30, 2026
Cities include Milan, Turin, and Verona. Registration cost $3,500/delegate. Partner price $3,000/delegate.
UK & Ireland Sales Mission, June 22 – 26, 2026
Cities include Manchester and Leeds and then on to Belfast and Dublin. Registration cost $3,000/delegate. Partner price is $2,500/delegate

Learn more and reserve your spot here.

Learn more about marketing partner pricing here.

Register today to secure your spot before the show sells out! Attend to hear from expert speakers, network with more than 200 tourism industry colleagues from throughout New England and have pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings with leading international tour operators from throughout the world who are actively building their programs to New England.

Save by registering early - early bird registration closes on December 12.

FY 2025 ANNUAL REPORT FOR DISCOVER NEW ENGLAND

Discover New England is pleased to release its FY25 Annual Report, covering activities from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. The report includes arrivals and spend data by overseas visitors, information about key partners and initiatives and details of the work done and those results. Read full report here.