The Tourist Trade

Who is Coming to America?

International Arrivals to the U.S. Note: The category “Overseas” does not include North America. “North America” includes Mexico and Canada.

Regional Divisions of Overseas Arrivals to the U.S. This pie chart provides a better sense of the regional divisions of just overseas visitors to the United States. Western European and Asian visitors account for almost three- fourths of current overseas visitors to the U.S.

Most Common Nationalities of Overseas Visitors Closer scrutiny reveals that visitors from just six nations account for more than half of all overseas visitors to the United States.

Country of Origin of All International Arrivals However, Canada and Mexico make up the majority of all international visitors to the U.S. In 1996 they represented 37% and 21% of the total. The six most common overseas nations combined represented just 32% for that year.

Where are Americans Going?

Americans’ Top Travel Destinations by Country Nearby Mexico and Canada are Americans’ most popular travel destinations.

Americans’ Regional Travel Destinations Over Time Though travel to Mexico and Canada dominate, travel overseas has been popular with Americans for a long time, and such travel was growing during the economic boom of the late 1990s.

Sources Slide 3: “Tourism Industries, International Trade Administration”; 6/1998; U.S. Department of Commerce Slide 4, 8, 9: “Tourism Industries, International Trade Administration”; 10/2000; U.S. Department of Commerce Slide 5: “1999 Profile Of Overseas Travelers To The U.S. – Inbound,” Survey Of International Air Travelers (IFS) Slide 6: “1996 Profile Of Overseas Travelers To The U.S. – Inbound,” Survey Of International Air Travelers (IFS)