The National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) reported that
total international visitors fell 3.9% in the first half of the year, while
overseas visitors (international excluding Canada and Mexico), fell 5.7%.
A fall-off in tourists from both China and India, down 3.2%
and 12.9%, respectively, reversed solid growth from both countries in 2016,
when China arrivals grew 14.7% while India's increased 4.1%, according to the
NTTO. Other weak markets this year are Mexico and Brazil, down 6.3% and 15.1%.
"These numbers are an undeniable wake-up call, and
correcting this troubling trend needs to become a national priority,"
stated U.S. Travel Association CEO Roger Dow. "The travel industry will
turn over every stone looking for all available policy options to better
promote the U.S. as an international destination, and we stand ready to partner
with the federal government to grow travel, and American jobs and exports along
with it."
Fred Dixon, CEO of NYC & Company, New York's marketing
organization, said the data "underscores concerns we have had this year
about the international tourism landscape in the U.S." New York is the top
U.S. destination for overseas travel, with a nearly 30% market share. This
year, NYC & Company predicts that the city could lose up to 100,000
overseas visitors, the first drop in international tourism since 2009.
"New York City has been astutely attuned to this
vulnerability for quite some time," he said. "To counter the negative
effects of policy decisions made by this administration, NYC & Company has
activated several global promotions in an effort to protect our fair share of
inbound international travel. We applaud
U.S. Travel Association's call to make protecting our industry a national
priority."