What
International inbound travel to the U.S., as well as domestic travel within the U.S., are on the decline, according to the U.S. Travel Association’s latest Travel Trends Index. Travel to and within the U.S. grew only 2.4% year over year in June, marking the industry’s worst overall performance in nine months.
Why It Matters
The statistics include a 0.8% contraction in travel to the U.S., in addition to a projection of about -0.2% for international inbound travel growth. Domestic business travel weakened by 0.2%, while domestic leisure travel grew 3.8%. Such trends may be attributed to rising trade tensions, continued strength of the U.S. dollar and a competitive international tourism market.
Fast Facts
- The 0.8% contraction of international inbound travel brought the sector’s six-month trend below zero for the first time since September 2015.
- U.S. Travel also projects that America’s share of the global long-haul travel market will fall from its current 11.7% to below 10.9% by 2022.
- Overall U.S. travel volume is projected to grow 1.8% through December, while domestic travel overall will grow 2.0%.
What They Are Saying
"While some factors cannot be controlled, the continued promotion of the U.S. in the competitive global travel market is more critical than ever," said David Huether, vice president of research for U.S. Travel. "Brand USA's global efforts have prevented the decline in international inbound travel from being worse, and it is imperative that Congress works quickly to pass legislation to ensure the program's reauthorization."
The Details
U.S. Travel
www.ustravel.org
