U.S. International Visitation Up 11 Percent for First 10 Months of 2010, from OTTI

TI News: An information service from Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI)

January 06, 2011

INTERNATIONAL VISITATION UP 11 PERCENT FOR FIRST 10 MONTHS OF 2010

SPENDING AT $111.5 BILLION FOR THE FIRST 10 MONTHS

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that for the first 10 months of 2010, 50.4 million international visitors traveled to the United States, an 11 percent increase over the same period in 2009. In October 2010, 5.1 million international visitors traveled to the United States, an increase of nine percent over October 2009. October 2010 registered the 13th straight month of increases in U.S. arrivals.
International visitors spent $111.5 billion during the first 10 months of 2010, 11 percent more than the same period in 2009. In October 2010, international visitors spent $11.9 billion, 18 percent more than in October 2009. October 2010 marks the 10th consecutive month of growth in U.S. travel and tourism-related exports. Total travel and tourism-related exports have increased, on average, $1.4 billion a month in 2010.
Highlights
Overseas Resident Visitation

• October YTD 2010, overseas resident visits (22.2 million) were up 12 percent compared to the same period 2009.
• In October 2010, overseas resident visitation (2.5 million) was up 12 percent over October 2009.
• Compared to the first 10 months of 2008, October YTD 2010 overseas resident visits increased three percent. Compared to the first 10 months of 2000, overseas resident visits were up one percent.
• October 2010 overseas resident visits were up 13 percent compared to October 2008.

Top 10 Countries

• In the first ten months of 2010, nine of the top 10 countries posted increases in visitation to the United States. October YTD 2010, the United Kingdom posted the only decline, registering a one percent decrease when compared to the same period in 2009.
• In October 2010, all top 10 countries posted increases in resident visitation for the month.

Top 10 Countries

Country of Residence	% Change YTD October 2010/2009	% Change October 2010 vs. 2009
Canada	11%	12%
Mexico	9%	1%
United Kingdom	-1%	5%
Japan	18%	10%
Germany	3%	6%
France	11%	20%
Brazil	36%	29%
South Korea	52%	71%
Australia	26%	19%
People's Republic of China (excl Hong Kong)	55%	57%

Top Ports: YTD October 2010
YTD October 2010, visitation through the top 15 ports of entry accounted for 81 percent of all overseas visits-three percentage points lower than last year. The top three ports (New York JFK, Miami and Los Angeles) accounted for 38 percent of all overseas arrivals, more than one percentage point below last year. Thirteen of the top 15 ports posted increases in arrivals during the first 10 months of 2010. Six of these ports posted double-digit increases. This upturn in the total of overseas arrivals reverses the majority of the declines registered YTD October 2009.