The United States, a globally acclaimed tourism hotspot, experienced an impressive resurgence in international visitor arrivals in April 2023. A recent report from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) highlighted an astonishing 30.2% growth in tourist volume compared to April 2022, with 5,580,778 international tourists gracing the nation’s soils.

Following the immense downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this upswing represents a promising recovery at 79.2% of pre-pandemic numbers recorded for April 2019. Although there was a slight dip from the prior month’s 83.4%, this development heralds the nation’s unwavering appeal to international visitors.

This marked the twenty-fifth consecutive month of a year-over-year increase in non-U.S. resident international arrivals, signifying the US’s steadfast attraction to travellers. However, some tourist-generating countries saw a decline. Visitor volume decreased from Spain, Colombia, Ireland, and the Dominican Republic, falling by 6.0%, 28.6%, 0.3%, and 6.0%, respectively.

Canada led the charge in the international visitor stakes, contributing a colossal 1,924,382 tourists, followed by Mexico (1,072,627), the United Kingdom (351,279), France (180,818), and Germany (165,854). These five nations accounted for a staggering 66.2% of international arrivals, once again showcasing the undying allure of the United States to global tourists.

Similarly, a remarkable increase was observed in U.S. citizen outbound travel, with 7,545,396 departures, a 26.0% rise from April 2022. This impressive figure reached nearly 99.4% of total departures recorded in pre-pandemic April 2019, reflecting a robust recovery of outbound tourism and U.S. citizens’ strong desire to explore the world post-pandemic.

On a year-to-date basis, U.S. citizens’ total number of international departures was 27,904,523, which marked a 39.3% year-over-year increase. Notably, North America, primarily Mexico and Canada, enjoyed the largest share of U.S. tourist departures at 50.7%, while overseas destinations constituted 49.3%.

Mexico topped the list as the preferred destination for U.S. citizens, with 2,874,049 departures in April 2023, accounting for 38.1% of total outbound traffic and 41.8% of year-to-date statistics. Canada, too, saw a substantial year-over-year increase in visitor numbers from the U.S. by a whopping 60.3%.

Europe, another major draw for U.S. tourists, witnessed 1,559,428 departures, constituting 20.7% of all departures in April and 16.2% year-to-date. This figure denotes a significant 49.4% increase from April 2022, symbolizing Europe’s enduring charm to American travellers.

As the pandemic gradually loses its grip on global tourism, the NTTO’s recently released data offers hope for international arrivals and departures. The current resurgence is a testament to the resilience of the travel and tourism sector. Still, its future trajectory will undeniably hinge on how effectively the world manages the lingering impacts of COVID-19.

Written by: Jason Smith

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