Tourism in the United States

"Four years ago, our government Took dramatic new measures to secure America from year Unprecedented new threat. Since That Time, while Continuing to Increase border and travel security, we-have made ​​significant exchange to Ensure That America Remains aussi hospitable to the tens of millions of foreign visitors enter our country Who Every year. "

Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State

"When we Enhance US border security, we make the United States safer for our Citizens and the millions of people visit us Who from all over the world Each year."

Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs


Tourism in the United States is a major economic activity. The United States is in fact the third country in the world in the number of tourists after France and Spain. They rank second transmitter tourist countries in terms of revenue.

In 2005 the United States had received 49.5 million international tourists, an increase of 7% over 2004 Despite two consecutive years of growth the number of visitors remained around 51.2 million reached in 2000 .

56.7 million tourists visited the United States in 2007 (11% more than in 2006) generating USD $ 113 billion in tourism revenue. Arrivals surpassed the 2000 record year with 51.2 million visitors. The United States appears to have regained momentum seriously affected by the attacks of September 11, 2001 In 2007 10.9 million Western Europeans visited the United States, including 4.5 million English (41% of total) and only 944,000 french. Since the passing of the Patriot Act (2001), the number of travelers in the world increased by 35 million, yet the number of tourists visiting the USA is 2 million less in 2008 than it was 7 years earlier.

The United States remained the main tourist destination in 2008, with revenues of US 1747000000000.

In 2008 the number of foreign tourists to the United States decreased by 10%, according to the US Travel Association. Foreign tourists spend about $ 4,000 per person during their stay in the United States, generating 2008 revenues of 1.380 billion and feeding 8.6 million jobs.

The top destination for foreign tourists remains the state of New York, followed by California and Florida. Nevada, Hawaii, Illinois and Massachusetts took the next places. In 2008 the top 10 cities visited by foreign tourists were: New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Orlando, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Washington DC, Chicago and Boston.

But the economic crisis has dealt a blow to tourism. Some 200,000 tourism jobs have disappeared in 2008 in the United States and the Commerce Department estimates that nearly 250,000 others will be victims of the recession in 2009.

Miami, the busiest port in the world by cruise ships, received 40,000 fewer passengers in March 2009 than a year earlier, according to data from Miami-Dade.

Lower prices of hotels and discount prices packages should still allow tourism started to recover in 2010 in the United States. In New York, one of the most visited cities by foreigners and Americans, the prices of hotel rooms are down at the same level after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

In July 2009, for the first time since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the WTO announced that the United States had again become the second tourist destination. In arrivals, France remains the world's leading tourist destination (79 million tourists) and third in revenue. The United States is first in receipts and second in arrivals now after getting the place they had ceded to Spain following the events of September 11, 2001.

In 2009 the United States received 53.3 million visitors, a decrease of 8% (a drop of nearly 5 million tourists) compared to the previous year. A record was set in 2008, with 58 million visitors. Official forecasts are very optimistic since they provide a 3% increase in the number of foreign visitors in 2010 and 5% more each year until 2013 forecast by the Department of Commerce, the United States should the beat in 2012, with 60.2 million.

By nationality, the fall was significant in 2009 in Taiwan (-17%), Ireland (-14%), Sweden (-13%) and Japan (-13%). However, Bahamian tourists (12%), Brazil (6%) and Argentina (+ 5%) saw their numbers grow. The French remained the sixth most numerous visitors to 1.226 million (-1%).