TInews Archive #20021106.html

Date:	Wed, 6 November 2002
From:	TInews Announcement <announce@tinet.ita.doc.gov>
To:	TInews Announcement <tiannounce@tinet.ita.doc.gov>
Subject:	Preliminary International Arrivals for August 2002 Released

=== TINEWS ===================================

An information service from the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI)
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/
U.S. International Trade Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce

November 6, 2002

Preliminary International Arrivals for August 2002 Released

The U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries has just posted the August, and January through August 2002 international visitor arrivals data to its web site.

International arrivals to the United States contracted 10 percent to 4,193,745 arrivals during August 2002, compared to August 2001 arrivals – traditionally one of the strongest arrival months for the United States. The good news is that the declines were not as bad as the July figures that were down 13 percent. The August 2002 arrivals figures are also the best showing for the country since May 2002 (which as also down 10%), and the March 2002 arrival figures which were only down three percent. The January through August 2002 arrivals contracted at a slightly faster rate (down 13%) to register 25,947,022 arrivals year to date.

Arrivals prior to 9/11 tailed off (down 4%) after the 2000 record setting arrival year. The 9/11 effects on travel were not yet reflected in the downturn through August 2001, rather the contraction was due to a persistent global economic slump and the poor exchange rate to the U.S. Dollar. Based on this, international arrivals have not recovered (i.e., reached a rate of decline of 4%) from the impact of 9/11, and slow global economic recovery given total arrivals were down 13 percent.

Hardest hit by both the economic downturn and the 9/11 impacts was the overseas markets. To date, overseas arrivals are down 16 percent and the August arrivals were down 15 percent, compared to the same travel periods in 2001.

Recovery Watch:
Four of the top 15 international visitor markets have reached a point of recovery from the downturn caused by the 9/11 attacks. Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, and the Bahamas have all reached a slower rate of contraction prior to January – August 2001. Additionally, upon receipt of the August 2002 arrival figures, the data show that German arrivals contracted only negative 7 percent, posting a single digit decline for the second time in 2002. German arrivals through August 2002 were down 18 percent, just one percentage point lower than the rate of decline prior to the 9/11 attacks. So, this market is very close to its pre 9/11 arrival figures.

To more information on OTTI's monthly arrivals data, visit our web site page at: http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2002-I-001/index.html

On this page, you will see links to tables that provide arrival figures and the percentage change for each month and year-to-date for all world regions and the top 19 countries. There are also tables that provides arrival figures and percentage change for the top 40 markets generating visitors to the United States for August 2002, and January-August 2002. If you have any questions related to this data, please contact OTTI at: tinet_info@ita.doc.gov

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Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, International Trade Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 7025
Washington, D.C. 20230
(202) 482-0140, fax: (202) 482-2887
e-mail: tinet_info@ita.doc.gov

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