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

May 22, 2007

INTERNATIONAL VISITATION UP NINE PERCENT IN FEBRUARY 2007
Year-To-Date Arrivals Seven Percent Above Last Year

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that 2.9 million international visitors traveled to the United States in February 2007, an increase of 9 percent over February 2006. Total visitation year-to-date 2007 was up 7 percent from the first two months of 2006.  International visitors also spent $9.2 billion during the month, up 8 percent from February 2006.

To see Deputy Secretary David A. Sampson’s comments celebrating National Tourism Week, http://www.commerce.gov/opa/press/Secretary_Gutierrez/2007_Releases/May/16_Sampson_Travel_Tourism_rls_Fact_Sheet.html .

Highlights of February 2007 International Arrivals to the United States

(It is important to note that the U.S. Department of Commerce complies with the UN World Tourism Organization (WTO) standard definition and class of international travelers when reporting monthly and annual arrivals data. This standard excludes all day-trippers from any of the counts/estimates including those from Canada and Mexico.)

• Canadian visitation grew 2 percent over February 2006 driven by air arrivals, which were up 3 percent while ground arrivals were essentially flat. Year-to-date arrivals were up 5 percent.
• Arrivals from Mexico (traveling to interior U.S. points) were up 30 percent in February 2007. This aggregate included air arrivals, which were up 5 percent. The latter stood in contrast to the 3 percent decline in air arrivals for January 2007. Air arrivals year-to-date 2007 are up over 1 percent.
• Overseas arrivals (excluding Canada and Mexico) increased 9 percent over February of 2006 and are up 5 percent year-to-date. Overseas markets have grown for 5 consecutive months.
• Visitation from Western Europe was up 8 percent in February 2007 and 5 percent year-to-date. Eastern European arrivals, up 22 percent, continued double-digit growth from late 2006.
• Arrivals from the United Kingdom were down almost 1 percent in February and year-to-date. Visitors from the U.K. accounted for 42 percent of all Western European arrivals.
• German, French and Italian arrivals were up 7 percent, 23 percent and 25 percent, respectively, for the month, continuing a growth trend from late 2006. French and Italian visits are up double-digit so far this year.
• Visitation from Asia increased 7 percent in February and is up 1 percent year-to-date. Japanese arrivals were 3 percent below the February 2006 visitor level, accounting for 58 percent of all Asian visitors for the year. Arrivals from South Korea, India, PR China/Hong Kong grew by double-digits in February, up 11 percent, 50 percent, 42 percent and 57 percent, respectively.
• Arrivals from South America were up 17 percent in February. Double-digit growth in visitation from Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela were noted, with Colombia up 9 percent for the month. Brazil is the top arrivals market for South America, accounting for 34 percent of arrivals from the region. Central American arrivals increased 4 percent in February.
• Travel from Oceania increased 9 percent in February with Australia registering an 11 percent increase. Australia accounted for 84 percent of all arrivals from Oceania so far in 2007.
• Visitation from the Caribbean was up 14 percent, overall, in February with air arrivals up 13 percent. Arrivals from the Middle East and Africa increased by 14 percent and 19 percent, respectively, during February.

To access the 2007 monthly arrivals data for world regions and top markets, visit: http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2007-I-001/index.html

The following is a summary of top port arrival activity for February 2007 year-to-date.

TOP PORTS   February 2007 Year-to-Date

Arrivals to the USA by port-of-entry are tracked on a monthly basis. Department of Commerce has arrival data on more than 40 U.S. ports-of-entry from all world regions and 30 countries. A brief analysis is presented on the top 15 ports for overseas arrivals during 2007.

Overseas arrivals (which excludes Canada and Mexico) were up 5 percent through February 2007. Arrivals through the top 15 ports-of-entry accounted for 86 percent of all overseas arrivals and were down over one percentage-point from the top 15 in 2006. This indicates increased use of secondary ports

Ten of the top fifteen ports posted increases in arrivals for the first two months of 2007. New York posted a 10 percent increase in arrivals and moved ahead of Miami, which increased six percent. Arrivals through Newark were up 18 percent moving it into 7th position, ahead of San Francisco, which was up by 11 percent. Houston and Detroit, both experiencing double-digit increases, moved ahead of Orlando, which declined 10 percent Also, Boston advanced into 14th position, ahead of Dallas, which declined 14 percent.

To access top port activity, go to: http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2007-I-001/top_ports.html

SOURCE:
The monthly Summary of International Travel to the U.S. report has approximately 30 tables that provide data on monthly and year-to-date arrivals to the country. The report provides data on approximately 90 countries each month and more than 40 ports of entry. Numerous breakouts are provided by world region and country for the port tables as well.

To find out more about this program, please go to: http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/research/programs/i94/index.html

If you would like to purchase the monthly international arrivals reports, please go to: http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/research/reports/i94/index.html

U.S. Department of Commerce
International Trade Administration
Office of Travel and Tourism Industries
14th & Constitution Avenue NW, Room 1003
Washington, D.C. 20230
Phone:(202) 482-0140
Fax: (202) 482-2887
Email: Tinet_info@ita.doc.gov