Despite the US continuing to bounce back from the pandemic, the country is facing international inbound travel headwinds. Peter Ellegard reports for TTG from IPW, the US’s largest inbound travel trade show, which returned to Los Angeles for the first time for 12 years this week.
International tourism to the US is on track to reach its target of 90 million visitors and spending of $279 billion by 2027.
Yet the message from tourism leaders at IPW this week (3-7 May) was that it should be doing far better, with events such as the Fifa World Cup, the centenary of Route 66 and America’s 250th anniversary happening in 2026 before the Olympics in 2028.
Long customs queues for arriving visitors, connecting passengers having to rescreen their bags and waits in some countries of more than two years for visa interviews were among obstacles to travel highlighted by Geoff Freeman, president and chief executive of IPW organiser the US Travel Association, at the show in Los Angeles.
"At the end of 2019, we had 79 million visitors internationally," said Freeman. "At the end of 2023, we had 67 million – 84% of pre-pandemic levels. Before the pandemic, we had a $12 billion travel trade surplus. At the end of last year, we had about a $50 billion deficit. So we have serious problems on the international inbound travel side we have to resolve.”
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