TIA: U.S. Minority Travel Increases

January 15, 2004

TIA: U.S. Minority Travel Increases
January 15, 2004 – Travel by minorities, including African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Asian-Americans, has increased significantly over the past three years according to a new report compiled by the Travel Industry Association of America.

The report, The Minority Traveler, found that Hispanic travel volume increased 20 percent from 2000 to 2002 (from 64.1 million to 77.1 million person-trips). Asian-American travel volume increased 10 percent (from 30 million to 33.1 million person-trips), and African-American travel volume increased 4 percent (from 72.2 million to 75.2 million person-trips). These increases are considerably higher than the two percent growth in U.S. travel overall over the same period.

In 2002, minority travelers generated approximately 18 percent of all person-trips taken in the United States but they generated 19 percent of domestic travel expenditures. Domestic expenditures by minority travelers totaled about $90 billion in 2002.

To read more about the report and to see a list of the top cities visited by minority travelers, go to http://www.tia.org/Press/pressrec.asp?Item=310.