by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:00 AM ET, Sat August 30, 2025
From newly updated travel advisories to Europe doing away with physical passport stamps, we¡¯ve been covering all the destination news you need to know.?
Check out the biggest news impacting destinations from the United States to Asia you should know from August right here, and click the links provided to read the full stories.?
Travel Advisory Changes
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (photo via Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism)
The U.S. Department of State updated travel advisories for those heading to two different countries this past month.?
It reissued its Level 2: Exercise Caution advisory for the United Arab Emirates, reporting that ¡°regional tensions¡± could escalate at any time and that the country is at risk for aerial attacks, terrorism and more.?
Mexico also received an updated Level 2 advisory, with the Department urging travelers to be aware of the risk of crime, including kidnapping and terrorism.?
Trump's Travel Impact & US Travel Industry
Las Vegas viewed from The Cosmopolitan. (Photo Credit: Patrick Clarke)
There¡¯s been a lot of news surrounding the Trump Administration¡¯s impact on travel and new data surrounding the U.S. travel industry this past month.?
Firstly, the Trump Administration has launched a new pilot program charging travelers from two African countries travel visa bonds of up to $15,000 to discourage them from overstaying their visitor visas. Travelers will receive these funds back once they return to their home countries, but the program is still quite controversial.?
Additionally, the Administration has formed an alliance with the U.S. Travel Association to support the 2026 FIFA World Cup, being held in Mexico, the United States and Canada next year. The nation is expected to welcome 30 million travelers for major sporting events in the next four years, making preparation crucial to their success.?
We also covered some new data that provide important perspectives into the health of the United States tourism industry.?
One such is a new study on why Singaporeans are not interested in traveling to the United States this year. A poll conducted in May and June found that, unlike travelers from neighboring countries, Singaporeans are largely uninterested in visiting the U.S., largely due to safety concerns, fears of discrimination or detention and recent actions by the current presidential administration.?
The next is a new report by the National Travel & Tourism Office showcasing the power of next-door travel: Mexicans are one of the top international markets for the United States, and this new report showcases their power to support tourism in the destinations they frequent.?
Lastly, a new report by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reports that, in June, travel was down 11.5 percent from last year. The report blamed economic uncertainty and weaker consumer confidence, and the mayor has also noted that Canadians have been boycotting visiting the city in ¡°droves,¡± after Trump¡¯s tariff war and repeatedly insulting comments about the sovereign nation.
Las Vegas, historically, has been seen as a bellwether for the rest of the nation¡¯s tourism industry.?
Mexico Tourism
Tourists stroll through a market on Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico. (Photo Credit: Mexican Caribbean Tourism Board)
Mexico¡¯s new President Claudia Sheinbaum has big plans to make Mexico the fifth most-visited country in the world by 2030. The new Mexican Secretary of Tourism sat down with TravelPulse to discuss the future of the country¡¯s travel and tourism industry in this new interview.
Mexico has also been celebrating a tourism surge: international arrivals to the country were 13.8 percent higher during the first half of 2025 than they were the year before. The newly released data also supports the previous news we¡¯ve reported on: that as travel to the United States continues to drop, our southern neighbor is reaping the rewards.?
Destination Marketing Organization News
Merrie Monarch Festival Broadcast in Hilo (Photo Credit: Hawai'i Tourism Authority)
There¡¯s been quite a bit of exciting news from DMOs across the country and the globe.?
Visit California just launched a new online accessibility hub for travelers with disabilities. The accessibility hub is free to use and is available on Visit California¡¯s website, along with a new three-part YouTube series highlighting the state¡¯s accessibility on its YouTube channel.?
Hawai¡¯i Tourism Authority has announced it will be investing nearly $2 billion into the Ho¡¯okipa Malihini Initiative, which supports 21 cultural events throughout the state each year. These include the 2026 King Kamehameha Celebrations and the Na Wahine O Ke Kai World Championship Canoe Race.?
Further from home, Thailand is considering a new program that would provide international visitors with free domestic flights throughout Thailand to destinations along the Mekong River or Buri Ram, known for its sporting events.?
Aruba just launched a new voluntourism initiative, called Aruba VTO (Volunteer Time Off). With helpful resources on how to ask your boss to use volunteer time off in Aruba, the program pairs travelers with hotel packages that provide discounts or other benefits for time spent helping out some of Aruba¡¯s volunteer organizations, including beach cleanups.?
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
