Trump tariffs spark concern for Atlanta’s tourism industry

Last month, data released by Canada showed the number of those residents visiting the U.S. by car dropped by more than 32%. Air travel by Canadians to the U.S. dropped by 13.5%.

“Luckily, we’re not a border state — they’re the ones who have felt the brunt of it first,” Pate said. “Although, Canada is one of our top inbound international markets, and our largest conventions see about 20% to 25% international travel to the city for those conventions.”

Pate said Atlanta will have to work harder just to maintain the level of visitation that it has had.

It’s bad news for the city as it gears up to host eight 2026 FIFA World Cup matches next summer. This is the first time the games will be played in the U.S. since 1994 and the first time in history that Atlanta is a host city.

Council member Liliana Bakhtiari raised concern that changes to travel visas at the federal level could not only impact FIFA fans but also how easily players can travel to the U.S. for scheduled matches.

“Things are very turbulent right now, and we don’t know how they’re going to look a year from now,” she said. “My concern is people being able to get into the country to spend money here.”

A report released last July by the Metro Atlanta Chamber estimated that the international event will generate more than $503 million in economic impact to the state of Georgia.

FIFA will announce in December which teams are coming to the Atlanta, and that will give city leaders a better idea of how many visitors to expect.

“A lot of it depends on the countries that we end up getting,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council. “That will have some impact on the travel, and therefore all the political issues.”

City Council budget hearings kick off this week

Budget season is in full swing inside City Hall, as council members begin the tedious process of doling out each dollar of the city’s $975 million general fund.

Over the course of the next two months, department heads will file into the City Council chamber to make their case for funding changes. The Dickens administration released its 2026 budget proposal last week that shows a 14% increase to the general fund — despite a projected deficit at the end of this fiscal year.

The Atlanta Police Department is set to get the biggest funding boost under the mayor’s proposal, with a $55 million increase from last year. Public Safety spending — through overtime hours and additional costs related to the recently opened Atlanta Public Safety Training Center — is cited by officials as the lead cause of the city’s projected $33 million deficit.

Key budget hearings