Foreign Travelers Returning to the U.S.
After a downturn in 2009 -- the first in six years -- expect steady growth for the next several years.

The beleaguered travel industry is showing signs of life: Foreign visitors are returning to the U.S. This year will see an upswing of 5% over 2009 as 58.2 million visit the U.S. The rebound almost offsets the 5% falloff in arrivals last year -- the first decline since 2003. Foreign visits are expected to increase another 5% in each of the next three years. Because international visitors outspend American tourists by about 4 to 1, the rebound is especially welcome to hotels, restaurants and other travel related sectors.
Leading the tourist brigades are South Americans and Asians. Trips by South Americans will be up 11% this year versus last. Brazilians and Argentines, in particular, seem keen on visiting the States. Asian visitors will increase by 9%, with China, South Korea and India leading the way. The number of Japanese visitors was down 10% last year from 2008, but will climb by 5% this year and another 5% in 2011.
Figure on a more modest flow from Europe. “The euro is taking a pounding, and so it’s much more expensive for Europeans to come here,” says Ron Erdman of the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries at the U.S. Department of Commerce. The United Kingdom, the top U.S. overseas market, saw a decrease of 15% last year, but will see a gain of 2% this year and next. Germany and France will also post slight gains -- 1% to 2% -- this year and next.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
New York City remains the top destination for foreign visitors, but Miami has replaced Los Angeles as the No. 2 spot. Other cities popular with overseas travelers include Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Visitors are staying put once they reach the U.S. and not traveling around the country as much as they used to. “There’s less domestic travel by air, fewer car rentals, and more use of city subways, buses and taxis,” says Erdman. Cultural and historical attractions in the cities are growing in popularity.
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

-
Stock Market Today: Cautious Investors Let Stocks Drift Lower
Markets weigh encouraging trends for earnings and tariffs against concerning signals from U.S. consumers.
-
A Smart Way to Combat Economic Rollercoasters
Savings With rates on CDs remaining high for now, a CD ladder allows you to maximize your returns with flexibility to your cash when you need it.
-
The New AI Agents Will Tackle Your To-Do List
The Kiplinger Letter Autonomous AI agents “see” your computer screen, then complete a task, from buying a concert ticket to organizing email. This opens up a world of possibilities.
-
Struggling with How to Plan a Trip? These Companies Will Help
Travel Plans Sit back, relax and let the professionals handle the logistics.
-
AI’s Medical Revolution
The Kiplinger Letter Medicine is a field ripe for finding both exciting and practical uses for AI. The tech is already being used by doctors and researchers.
-
The Economic Impact of the US-China Trade War
The Letter The US-China trade war will impact US consumers and business. The decoupling process could be messy.
-
AI Heads to Washington
The Kiplinger Letter There’s big opportunity for AI tools that analyze MRIs and other medical images. But also big challenges that clinicians and companies will have to overcome.
-
The AI Doctor Coming to Read Your Test Results
The Kiplinger Letter There’s big opportunity for AI tools that analyze CAT scans, MRIs and other medical images. But there are also big challenges that human clinicians and tech companies will have to overcome.
-
The New Space Age Takes Off
The Kiplinger Letter From fast broadband to SOS texting, space has never been more embedded in peoples’ lives. The future is even more exciting for rockets, satellites and emerging space tech.
-
Rising AI Demand Stokes Undersea Investments
The Kiplinger Letter As demand soars for AI, there’s a need to transport huge amounts of data across oceans. Tech giants have big plans for new submarine cables, including the longest ever.