America's market share of international leisure tourism
declined an average of 11% between October 2016 and March 2017, reports Foursquare, the location technology company known for its check-in app.
The decline began in October when market share fell by 6%
and reached its low point in March, falling 16%. Foursquare said that there is
currently no sign of recovery.
Foursquare's data indicates that residents of the Middle
East and Latin America are avoiding the U.S. more than residents of Asia,
Europe and elsewhere.
Its numbers also indicate that visits to the rest to the
rest of world are up, making the U.S. an anomaly.
Foursquare said more than 13 million smartphone users have
opted into its global research panel and share "always on" location
trails that it uses to detect when these phones travel and when they walk in or
out of 93 million public places around the world.
Foursquare data measure the number of stops made at leisure
venues by people that are visiting from abroad, such as casinos, department
stores, malls, monuments/landmarks, museums, night clubs, restaurants and theme
parks.
The corresponding data indicates that the 11% drop in U.S.
market share of leisure tourism results in an opportunity cost of about 1.2% in
total visits to those leisure venues.
"While that impact may sound small, it could mean an
additional 1-2% year-over-year sales hit to U.S. retailers already operating on
thin margins and besieged by competition from Amazon, e-commerce as a whole and
a generally competitive and 'over-stored' economy," the Foursquare report
said. "It represents significant damage to a hurting sector."