Skift Take
The slight uptick in international trips mirros a global increase in overseas travel, but the regions with the greatest growth suggest Americans are beginning to explore more developing markets.
The number of Americans traveling abroad increased one percent in 2013, according to data released Monday by the U.S. Department of Commerce. And they’re being more adventurous when choosing their destinations.
The number of Americans (32.6 million) that traveled to North American markets, Mexico and Canada, outnumbered those that traveled overseas (29 million) by a little more than 3 million.
But Mexico and Canada only saw a one percent increase in visitors in comparison to a two to five percent increase in other regions worldwide.
The Middle East and Oceania experienced the greatest increase, 5 percent, in American travelers in 2013. American travelers to Central America and Africa each increased four percent. And travelers to traditional destinations like Europe, the Caribbean, and South America each increased two percent.
A surprising find is that the number of American travelers to Asia remained flat.
Asia’s travel market continues to grow but the stagnation either suggests that the potential of the U.S. as a source market for Asia has reached saturation.
| Regions | Total Visitors | % Change YTD | YTD Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Total | 61,569,800 | 1.4% | 100% |
| Europe | 11,407,988 | 1.5 | 18.5 |
| Caribbean | 6,545,774 | 1.7 | 10.6 |
| Asia | 4,327,266 | 0.3 | 7 |
| South America | 1,735,188 | 1.9 | 2.8 |
| Central America | 2,496,061 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| Oceania | 571,756 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
| Middle East | 1,579,482 | 5.3 | 2.6 |
| Africa | 351,948 | -3.5 | 0.6 |
| Total Overseas | 29,015,463 | 1.8% | 47.1% |
| Mexico | 20,546,361 | 1.2% | 33.4% |
| Canada | 12,007,976 | 1% | 19.5% |
| North America | 32,554,337 | 1.1% | 52.9% |
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Tags: skiftstats, usa
Photo credit: Tourists walk pass a billboard near a department store in Bangkok. Athit Perawongmetha / Reuters