International Visitation Down 4% In August 2009

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. November 24, 2009

NOVEMBER 20, 2009 - The U.S. Department of Commerce announces that 5.4 million international visitors traveled to the United States in August 2009, a decrease of four percent compared to August 2008. Total visitation in the first eight months of 2009 was down nine percent compared to the same period in 2008. International visitors spent $10.0 billion during the month, nearly 21 percent less than visitors spent in August 2008. August 2009 marks the tenth straight month of decreases in international visitor spending. In the first eight months of 2009, visitors spent $79.5 billion, down 17 percent from the same period in 2008.

HIGHLIGHTS

Canada and Mexico

In August 2009, Canadian visitation declined six percent compared to August 2008. Measured by mode, land arrivals (1.9 million) declined by eight percent and air arrivals (496,000) increased four percent. In the first eight months of 2009, visitation from Canada decreased eight percent, with land arrivals (8.3 million) down nine percent and air arrivals (4.1 million) down eight percent.

Visitation from Mexico (traveling to interior U.S. points) totaled 546,000, up 23 percent in August 2009. For the month, land arrivals (415,000) increased 37 percent and air arrivals (130,000) decreased seven percent. Overall, traffic for the first eight months of 2009 was down six percent, with land arrivals (2.9 million) down one percent and air arrivals (939,000) down 19 percent. Overseas (excluding Canada and Mexico)

Overseas visitation decreased six percent in August 2009 and dropped nine percent year-to-date.

Top 20 Countries

In August 2009, of the top 20 countries 11 posted decreases in visitation to the United States, and visitation from five of the top 20 countries registered double-digit declines.

In August 2009, Mexico, PRC & Hong Kong, Brazil, and the Bahamas registered double-digit increases. In the first eight months of 2009, 17 of the top 20 countries posted decreases in visitation to the United States, with visitation from eight countries registering double-digit declines.

To access the 2009 monthly arrivals data for Canada and Mexico, Overseas, and the Top 20 Countries, please visit http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2009-I-001/index.html

OVERSEAS VISITATION

• U.S. visitation from the 27 European Union countries declined 11 percent in August 2009 and also dropped 11 percent from the first eight months of 2008.International Visitation Down 4% In August 2009 International Visitation Down 4% In August 2009International Visitation Down 4% In August 2009
  
• U.S. visits from Western Europe, 1.1 million visitors, were down 11 percent in August 2009. Year-to-date, arrivals (7.2 million) also decreased 11 percent.International Visitation Down 4% In August 2009
  For the month and year-to-date, visitors from Western Europe accounted for 47 percent of all overseas visitors.International Visitation Down 4% In August 2009
  
• U.S. visits from the United Kingdom, 385,000 visitors, were down 13 percent in August 2009, accounting for 34 percent of all Western European arrivals. Year-to-date, visitation from the United Kingdom dropped 16 percent and accounted for 35 percent of all Western European visitors.
  
• German visits were up one percent for the month and down six percent year-to-date. At the same time, French arrivals decreased nine percent in August 2009 and are down three percent for the year.
  
• Italian visitation was down 15 percent in August 2009 and down seven percent year-to-date. Visitors from the Netherlands were down two percent for the month and down 11 percent for the year. Spanish visits decreased 20 percent in August 2009 and decreased 12 percent in the first eight months.
  
• Visitation from Ireland decreased 25 percent for the month, and was down 20 percent for the year. Visitors from Switzerland and Sweden were up one percent and down 15 percent, respectively, for the month.In the first eight months, visits from Switzerland increased two percent while visits from Sweden decreased 19 percent.
• Eastern European visits were down seven percent for the month, and flat for the year. Russian visitation decreased seven percent for the month, and was flat for the year.
  
• Visitation from Asia decreased four percent in August 2009 and 14 percent in the first eight months of 2009.
• Japanese visits were eight percent below the August 2008 visitor levels, and down 16 percent in the first eight months of 2009. Japan accounted for 48 percent of all Asian visitors for the month and 50 percent of Asian visitors in the first eight months of 2009.
  
• In August 2009, visitation from South Korea and India declined four percent and 11 percent, respectively. Year-to-date, arrivals from South Korea and India dropped 11 percent and 12 percent, respectively.In August 2009 arrivals from the People's Republic of China were up 35 percent and increased one percent for the year. Taiwanese visitation dropped 12 percent for the month and was down 23 percent year-to-date.
  
• U.S. visitation from South America increased nine percent in August 2009 and increased four percent in the first eight months of 2009.
  
• Brazilian visitation was up 35 percent for the month and up 11 percent in the first eight months. Brazil is the top visitation market from South America; and in the first eight months of 2009 accounted for 32 percent of visits from the region. U.S. visits from Venezuela increased three percent in August 2009 but declined one percent for the year.
  
• U.S. visitation from Colombia decreased seven percent for the month and dropped four percent year-to-date. Argentine visits increased one percent in August 2009 and grew nine percent for the year.
  
• Central American visits decreased four percent in August 2009 bringing the region to a five percent decline for the year.
  
• U.S. visitation from the Caribbean decreased two percent in August 2009 and dropped four percent for the year.
  
• Visitation from the Dominican Republic, the top visitation market from the Caribbean region for the year, decreased four percent in August 2009 and declined six percent for the year.
  
• In August 2009 there was a 24 percent increase in visits from the Bahamas. Year-to-date, visits were up 15 percent.
  
• Travel from Oceania increased one percent in August 2009 but decreased three percent year-to-date. Visits from Australia were up three percent in August 2009 but registered a two percent decrease year-to-date. Australia accounted for 82 percent of all visits from Oceania in the first eight months of 2009.
  
• U.S. visitation from the Middle East increased one percent in August 2009 and was down three percent year-to-date.International Visitation Down 4% In August 2009
  
• Israeli visitation to the United States increased six percent in August 2009 and dropped seven percent year-to-date.International Visitation Down 4% In August 2009
  
• U.S. visitation from Africa decreased eight percent in August 2009 and declined nine percent for the year.

Business travel to the United States continued to decline at a greater rate than leisure arrivals for the first eight months of 2009. To access the rates of change for the top 20 arrival markets comparing business, pleasure and total travel to the United States, visit http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2009-I-001/index.html

TOP PORTS: Year-to-Date August 2009

In the first eight months of 2009, overseas visits (excluding Canada and Mexico) dropped nine percent. Visitation through the top 15 ports of entry accounted for 84 percent of all overseas visits, almost two percentage points higher than last year.

The top three ports of entry (New York JFK, Miami and Los Angeles) accounted for 39 percent of all overseas arrivals, up one percentage point from the first eight months of 2008.

Miami, Orlando (MCO), Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale are the only ports in the top 15 ports that posted an increase in arrivals in the first eight months of 2009. Eleven ports posted decreases. Arrivals decreased by double digits through four ports.

In the first eight months of 2009, visitation through Chicago decreased 18 percent, moving it into seventh position behind Honolulu. With arrivals through Detroit decreasing 36 percent, this port moved into 16th position behind Boston, Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale. Sanford decreased 48 percent dropping it into 19th position in 2009 from 15th position in 2008.

To access top port activity, go to the OTTI monthly arrivals page above and scroll down the page until you see the yellow title bar entitled: 2009 Monthly Top Airports for Overseas Non-Resident Arrivals. Click on the Excel file to view the monthly port figures.

Arrivals to the United States by port-of-entry are tracked on a monthly basis. The U.S. Department of Commerce has arrivals data on more than 40 U.S. ports-of-entry from all world regions and 30 countries, with a brief analysis presented on the top 15 ports for overseas arrivals in 2009.