Overseas visitors to U.S. spend record $153 billon in 2011

International visits grow by 8.1 percent from 2010

Growing visits to national parks like Badlands is a big part of the federal government's push to increase tourism.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —Thanks in part to a favorable exchange rate, international tourist visits to the U.S. surged in 2011, contributing to an 8.1 percent increase in domestic and international tourism spending.

A big factor was an influx of international travelers — up 2.5 million to a total of 62 million for the year, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department this week. The department estimates that the growth in tourism supports an additional 103,000 jobs.

Altogether, visitors from overseas spent an all-time record  $153 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services in 2011, making travel and tourism the country’s number-one service export. The figures come on the heels of President Obama’s announcement of new initiatives to significantly increase travel and tourism in the U.S. (more…)

Global tourism visits to pass the 1 billion mark by 2012

Annual tourism growth of 3.3 percent expected the next couple of decades

Europe's tourism market share will shrink relative to Asia's in the next few decades.

SUMMIT COUNTY — Tourism is expected to grow about 3.3 percent annually during the next two decades, with international arrivals passing the 1 billion mark for the first time in 2012, up from 940 million in 2010. At that pace, the total number of international tourism arrivals will reach 1.8 billion by 2030.

With about 43 million international tourists joining the marketplace each year, 5 million people will be crossing international borders for leisure, business or other purposes such as visiting friends and family every day by 2030, according to a new report from the World Tourism Organization released during the organization’s 2011 general assembly in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea.

International tourism arrivals have nearly doubled since 1995.

(more…)

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