International Visitation to U.S. Up Five Percent Over Last Year

June 30, 2007

International Visitation to U.S. Up Five Percent Over Last Year
April 30, 2007 –The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that 3.1 million international visitors traveled to the United States in January 2007, an increase of five percent over January 2006. Both air and ground Canadian visitation grew seven percent and arrivals from Mexico were up 15 percent compared to 2006.

Other highlights include:

• International visitors spent $9.26 billion, up four percent from January 2006.

   

• Overseas arrivals, excluding Canada and Mexico, increased two percent and arrivals from the overseas markets have posted 4 consecutive months of growth.

   

• Visitation from Western Europe was up three percent and arrivals from Eastern Europe were up 11 percent.

   

• Arrivals from the United Kingdom were down one percent in January, less of a decline than in 2006, which was down four percent. Visitors from the U.K. accounted for 41 percent of all Western European arrivals.

   

• German, French and Italian arrivals were up one percent, nine percent and 14 percent, respectively. This is a continuation of growth registered in late 2006.

   

• Visitation from Asia declined three percent in January. Japanese arrivals were 11 percent below the January 2006 visitor level, accounting for 55 percent of all Asian visitors. Arrivals from South Korea, India and the People’s Republic of China grew by 11 percent, 31 percent and 19 percent, respectively. However, arrivals from Taiwan and Hong Kong declined 18 percent and 16 percent.

   

• Arrivals from South America were up seven percent in January. Double-digit growth in visitation from Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela were noted for the month. Brazil is the top arrivals market for South America, accounting for 38 percent of arrivals from the region.

   

• Travel from Oceania increased six percent in January with Australia registering a nine percent increase. Australia accounted for 83 percent of all arrivals from Oceania in January 2007.

   

• Visitation from Central America and the Caribbean were up one percent and nine percent, respectively. Arrivals in January from the Middle East and Africa increased by six percent and seven percent, respectively.

   

In addition, the following is a summary of top port arrival activity for January 2007.

• Overseas arrivals, excluding Canada and Mexico, were up two percent. Arrivals through the top 15 ports-of-entry accounted for almost 86 percent of all overseas arrivals and were down two percentage-points from the top 15 in 2006.

   

• The top three ports of entry, New York JFK, Miami and Los Angeles, accounting for 38 percent of all overseas arrivals, were down one percentage-point from that registered in 2006.

   

• Nine of fifteen ports posted increases in arrivals for January 2007. New York, having the most overseas arrivals, moved ahead of Miami.

For more information on the full Summary of International Travel to the U.S. report please go to http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/research/programs/i94/index.html.