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

July 10, 2009

INTERNATIONAL VISITATION UP 3 PERCENT IN APRIL 2009
SPENDING: $9.8 BILLION IN APRIL-$40.6 BILLION IN FIRST 4 MONTHS

Year-to-Date Arrivals 10 Percent Below Last Year

The U.S. Department of Commerce announces that 4.2 million international visitors traveled to the United States in April 2009, an increase of three percent compared to April 2008. Total visitation in the first four months of 2009 was down 10 percent compared to the same period 2008. International visitors spent $9.8 billion during the month, 15 percent less than visitors spent in April 2008. April 2009 marks the sixth consecutive month of decreases in international visitors spending. In the first four months 2009, visitors spent $40.6 billion, down nearly 12 percent from the same period in 2008.

Part of the increase in April 2009 was expected since the Easter holidays occurred in March 2008. In 2009, the Easter holidays were in April.

Highlights ^{(1) (2)}

• In April 2009, Canadian visitation declined one percent compared to April 2008. Measured by mode, land arrivals (1 million) increased four percent and air arrivals (600,000) decreased eight percent. In the first four months 2009, visitation from Canada decreased nine percent, with land arrivals (3.1 million) down nine percent and air arrivals (2.4 million) down eight percent.
• Visitation from Mexico (traveling to interior U.S. points) totaled 575,000, up 27 percent in April 2009.  For the month, land arrivals (424,000) increased 32 percent and air arrivals (148,000) increased 14.5 percent.  Overall, traffic for the first four months 2009 was down 14 percent with land arrivals (1.3 million) down eleven percent and air arrivals (413,000) down 21 percent.
• Overseas visitation (excluding Canada and Mexico) increased almost one percent in April 2009 but were down nine percent year-to-date.
• In April 2009, of the top 20 countries 12 posted increases in visitation to the United States, with visitation from nine growing at double-digit growth rates.
  • Mexican arrivals to the United States increased 27 percent; German arrivals increased 13 percent; French arrivals increased three percent; Brazilian arrivals increased 24 percent; Italian arrivals increased four percent; Australian arrivals increased six percent; Spanish arrivals increased 29 percent; Irish arrivals increased 27 percent; Venezuelan arrivals increased 25 percent; Colombian arrivals increased 30 percent; Swiss arrivals increased 15 percent; and Argentine arrivals increased 21 percent.
• In the first four months of 2009, four of the top 20 countries posted increases in visitation to the United States, with visitation from Brazil and Argentina growing at a double-digit growth rates.
  • French visitation increased two percent in the first four months of 2009. At the same time, Brazilian visitation to the United States increased 11 percent; Chinese (PRC) visitation increased seven percent; and Argentine visitation increased 12 percent.

OVERSEAS VISITATION

• U.S. visitation from the 27 European Union countries declined one percent in April 2009 and dropped 12 percent from the first four months of 2008.
• U.S. visits from Western Europe, more than one million visitors, accounting for 52 percent of all overseas arrivals, were down one percent in April 2009. Year-to-date, arrivals decreased 13 percent and accounted for 46 percent of all overseas visitors.
  • U.S. visits from the United Kingdom, 379,000 visitors, were down 13 percent in April 2009. Year-to-date, visitation from the United Kingdom dropped 22 percent. For the month and year-to-date, visitors from the United Kingdom accounted for 36 percent of all Western European arrivals.
  • German visits were up 13 percent for the month and down seven percent year-to-date. At the same time, French arrivals increased three percent in April 2009 and grew two percent for the year.
  • Italian visitation was up four percent in April 2009, and down two percent year-to-date. Visitors from the Netherlands were down 15 percent for the month and down 12 percent for the year. Spanish visits increased 29 percent in April 2009, but decreased seven percent in the first four months.
  • Visitation from Ireland increased 27 percent for the month, but was down 14 percent for the year. ; Visitors from Switzerland and Sweden were up 15 percent and down 6 percent, respectively, for the month and down one percent and 17 percent for the year.
• Eastern European visits were down four percent for the month, and flat for the year. Russian visitation decreased seven percent for the month, and down two percent for the year.
• Visitation from Asia decreased eight percent in April 2009 and 11 percent in the first four months of 2009.
  • Japanese visits were five percent below the April 2008 visitor levels, and down nine percent in the first four months of 2009. Japan accounted for 50 percent of all Asian visitors for the month and 56 percent of Asian visitors in the first four months 2009.
  • In April 2009, visitation from South Korea and India declined eight percent and 17 percent, respectively. Year-to-date, arrivals from South Korea and India declined 17 percent and 15 percent, respectively. In April 2009, arrivals from the People’s Republic of China were flat-to-down and up seven percent for the year.
  • Taiwanese visitation dropped 18 percent for the month and was down 21 percent year-to-date.
• U.S. visitation from South America increased 23 percent in April 2009 and four percent in the first four months of 2009.
  • Brazilian visitation was up 24 percent for the month and up 11 percent in the first four months. Brazil is the top visitation market from South America; and in the first four months of 2009 accounted for 33 percent of visits from the region. U.S. visits from Argentina increased 21 percent in April 2009 and grew 12 percent for the year.
  • U.S. visitation from Venezuela increased 25 percent in April 2009 and declined four percent for the year. Colombian visits increased 30 percent for the month and dropped five percent year-to-date.
• Central American visits increased 13 percent in April 2009 bringing it to a five percent decline for the year.
• U.S. visitation from the Caribbean increased 16 percent in April 2009 and dropped four percent for the year.
  • Visitation from the Dominican Republic, the top visitation market from the Caribbean region, increased 13 percent in April 2009 and declined 12 percent for the year.
  • In April 2009, there was a 19 percent increase in visits from the Bahamas. Year-to-date, visits increased 32 percent.
• Travel from Oceania increased three percent in April 2009 and decreased 10 percent year-to-date.
  • Australia registered a 6 percent increase for the month and a nine percent decrease year-to-date. Australia accounted for 83 percent of all visits from Oceania in the first four months of 2009.
• U.S. visitation from the Middle East decreased nine percent in April 2009 and was down three percent year-to-date.
  • Israeli visitation to the United States decreased 16 percent in April 2009 and dropped eight percent year-to-date.
• U.S. visitation from Africa decreased 13 percent in April 2009 and declined nine percent from the first four months of 2008.

To access the 2009 monthly arrivals data for world regions and top markets, visit
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2009-I-001/index.html

TOP PORTS: Year-to-Date April 2009

In the first four months of 2009, overseas visits (excluding Canada and Mexico) dropped nine percent. Visitation through the top 15 ports of entry accounted for 86 percent of all overseas visits, almost one percentage-point higher than last year.

The top three ports of entry (New York JFK, Miami and Los Angeles) accounted for 40 percent of all overseas arrivals, up 1.4 percentage-points from the first four months of 2008.

Thirteen of the top fifteen ports posted decreases in arrivals in the first four months of 2009. Arrivals decreased by double digits through seven of the ports.

In the first four months of 2009, visitation through San Francisco decreased 17 percent, moving it into sixth position behind Honolulu. Travel through Chicago decreased 23 percent, dropping it behind Agana (Guam) into eighth position.

With arrivals through Detroit decreasing 30 percent, this port moved into fifteenth position behind Boston and Philadelphia. Miami and Orlando (MCO) are the only ports in the top 15 ports that posted an increase in the first four months of 2009.

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 arrival 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.

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 United States. 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://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/research/programs/i94/index.html

If you would like to subscribe to 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 (OTTI)
1401 Constitution Avenue N.W., Room 1003
Washington, D.C 20230
Phone: (202) 482-0140, Fax: (202) 482-2887
http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/
Email: tinet_info@ita.doc.gov

¹ Throughout this report, percent changes posted for April 2009 were calculated by comparing data in April 2009 to data in April 2008. Also, percent changes posted for year-to-date 2009 were calculated by comparing data January - April 2009 to data January - April 2008.

² 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. Also, OTTI has included non-immigrant visa types ‘E’ treaty trader or investor and “I” representatives of foreign information media into the counts to more accurately reflects business visitation.