Skift Take
Global economic factors are driving the increase in visitation to the U.S. but it's time the country capitalizes on it by significantly improving its marketing strategies and infrastructure.
The United States is on track for a record year of visitation, according to data released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
In the first 11 months of 2014, 68.5 million visitors arrived in the country, a 7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2013. November, in which monthly visitation increased 8 percent, marks the 11th consecutive month of arrival increases in 2014.
As usual, the top inbound markets are Canada and Mexico, which account for 28 percent of total arrivals. Growth of travelers arriving from Mexico, 15 percent, outpaces the increase in travelers from Canada, which increased just 1 percent.
In November, all top inbound markets, which also include the UK, Japan and Brazil, all reported increases in visits in November. Four countries — Mexico, the UK, Germany and China —reported double-digit increases for the month.
The chart below shows visitation growth from the top 10 inbound markets for November 2014:
| Country of Residence | % Change November2014 vs. 2013 |
|---|---|
| Canada | 1% |
| Mexico | 15% |
| United Kingdom | 12% |
| Japan | 1% |
| Brazil | 7% |
| Germany | 16% |
| People’s Republic of China (EXCL HK) | 17% |
| South Korea | 1% |
| France | 9% |
| Australia | 9% |
The Daily Newsletter
Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.
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Tags: skiftstats, usa
Photo credit: Tourists walk around Millennium Park in Chicago. Rick Harris / Flickr