Skift Take

U.S. travelers' growing interest in Central America is great news for the region whose destinations should now focus on differentiating and marketing their respective products as well as improving local transportation to ensure benefits are spread throughout each country.

The number of U.S. citizens traveling abroad increased 10 percent to 40.2 million travelers in the first seven months of 2014, according to monthly statistics released this week by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office.

U.S. citizen international travel increased 11 percent to 7.6 million in July alone.

Every month, the NTTO releases data regarding recent travel activity, including details about outbound travel from the United States. This is the most recent month for which this information is available.

Throughout July, U.S. travel to overseas locations accounted for 47 percent of U.S. outbound international travel while a slightly higher percentage, 53 percent, went no farther than Canada or Mexico.

Europe and the Caribbean remain the most popular destinations throughout the summer month capturing a total 19 percent of all travel. The greatest growth among overseas markets is seen in the Caribbean, up 13 percent to 822,000 travelers, and Central America, up 11 percent to 309,000 travelers.

Despite headlines purporting violence in the region, U.S. travel to Mexico increased 19 percent to 2.3 million travelers in July, which is significant growth in comparison to a 10 percent increase to Canada.

July’s trends translate well for year-to-date trends. Europe (18 percent) and the Caribbean (11 percent) captured the largest percentage of U.S. outbound overseas travel, while Mexico (37 percent) and Canada (17 percent) continue to grab the largest absolute share.

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Tags: skiftstats, usa

Photo credit: A quiet seaside town. Caroline Gutman

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