Although the U.S. travel industry has had to weather some significant storms over the last several years, its sunniest spot appears to be international inbound travel, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, which last week released the 2010 results of its annual "International Visitation to the United States" report.
Led by travelers from Canada and Mexico, followed by the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany, the number of international travelers visiting the United States reached 60 million last year, up 9 percent from 2009. Collectively, those travelers generated $1.33 trillion in economic impact.
Excluding Canada and Mexico, annual overseas arrivals totaled 26.4 million in 2010, up 11 percent from 2009 and 1 percent from the previous peak in 2000, creating a "new record level of overseas visits for the United States," according to the Commerce Department.
The most popular destinations for international visitors were New York, followed by Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Hawaii and Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, the fastest growing foreign markets — accounting for the largest increases in visitation to the United States — were China, up 53 percent; South Korea, up 49 percent; and Brazil, up 34 percent.
For the complete "2010 International Visitation to the United States" report, visit www.tinet.ita.doc.gov.