US Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI) reports International Visitation up 10 Percent in January 2010

12 April 2010
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Spending at $10.3 Billion for the Month

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that 3.4 million international visitors traveled to the United States in January 2010, an increase of 10 percent over January 2009. January 2010 marks the fourth straight month of increases in U.S. arrivals.

International visitors spent $10.3 billion in January 2010, three percent less than in January 2009. January 2010 marks the fifteenth consecutive month in which the U.S. travel and tourism-related exports were lower than when compared to the same period of the previous year.Highlights

Top 20 Countries

In January 2010, 17 of the top 20 countries posted increases in visitation to the United States. Visitation from nine of the top 20 countries registered double-digit increases: Canada, Brazil, South Korea, the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong, Australia, Argentina, Spain, Colombia and Switzerland.

January 2010 International Arrivals to United States

  • Canadian visitation totaled 1.3 million, was up 13 percent in January.
    • In January 2010, air arrivals totaled 631,000, up 12 percent and land arrivals totaled 670,000, up 15 percent.
  • Mexican visitation totaled 416,000 and was up three percent for the month.
    • Air arrivals (101,000) were up seven percent for the month and land arrivals (312,000) were up one percent.
  • Overseas visitation totaled 1.7 million for the month, up eight percent over January 2009.
  • Visitation from Western Europe increased one percent for the month.
    • Visitation from 19 Western European markets was up for the month.
    • Seven of the top 10 markets registered increases in January (Germany +5%, France +4%, Italy +7%, Spain +10%, Netherlands +3%, Sweden +5%, and Switzerland +14%).
    • Visits from the United Kingdom dropped five percent in January.
  • Eastern European visits decreased one percent for the month.
  • Visitation from Asia increased 12 percent in January.
    • Seven of the top 10 markets registered increases in January (Japan +9%, South Korea +40%, the People’s Republic of China +15%, India +7%, Singapore +18%, the Philippines +2%, and Indonesia +7%).
  • Visits from South America increased 18 percent for the month.
    • In January 2010, visits from Brazil, Argentina and Colombia were up 30 percent, 12 percent and 20 percent, respectively. U.S. visitation from Venezuela decreased eight percent for the month.
  • Visits from Central America increased seven percent for the month.
  • Visitation from the Caribbean grew seven percent in January 2010.
    • Visits from the Dominican Republic, the region’s top market, accounting for 21 percent of all visits, increased 18 percent in January 2010.
  • Oceania visitation was up 18 percent in January.
    • Australia accounted for 86 percent of all visits from the region in January 2010. Visits from Australia increased 22 percent for the month.
  • Visitation from the Middle East increased 16 percent in January 2010.
    • Israel’s visitation was up eight percent.
  • African visitation grew three percent in January 2010.
Top Ports
In January 2009, visitation through the top 15 ports of entry accounted for 86 percent of all overseas visits, one percentage point lower than last year. The top three ports (Miami, New York JFK, and Los Angeles) accounted for 40 percent of all overseas arrivals, about the same as in January 2009. Twelve of the top 15 ports posted increases in arrivals in January 2010. Five of these ports posted double-digit increases. This upturn in the total of overseas arrivals reverses the majority of the declines registered in January 2009.

Background
Manufacturing and Services’ Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) collects, analyzes and disseminates international travel and tourism statistics from the U.S. Travel and Tourism Statistical System. OTTI produces visitation data tables, including a business and pleasure arrivals rate of change analysis and a more detailed region, country and port analyses. To learn more, click here.

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