come back to ... America!

a graphic representation in the drop of foreign travel to the US since 2015

In 2015, the US global travel share was 13.6%. By 2017, according to the US Travel Association, the US global travel share had dropped to 11.9%. It's hard to do math in a blog, but the stick figures above put the drop in graphical terms: of every eight foreign visitors who chose the US in 2015, only seven chose the US in 2017.

The world's top twelve world destinations are listed in the chart below. Long-haul world travel has increased by 7.9% over the past two years, but two of the top twelve destinations experienced significant declines over the same period. Turkey has the worst decline — a 6.7% — and the United States is second worst with a 6% decline. Here's the list:

Australia +22%
Canada +21.2%
Saudi Arabia +20.3%
United Kingdom +17.5%
United Arab Emirates +16.5%
Thailand +13.9%
China +9.3%
Germany +8%
France +4%
Italy + 2.2%
United States -6%
Turkey -6.7%

Turkey's decline I understand. While the country is an incredible destination, it has recently suffered through a lot of domestic unrest and violence. But why the US? Has a stronger dollar, making foreign currencies worth less, discouraged foreign travel? Have more stringent visa regulations caused some travelers to visit elsewhere? Are visitors staying away in reaction to the policies of the current occupant of the White House? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Come back to ... America! The US has so much to offer from the redwood forests of California to the majestic rocky mountains, from the midwest's amber waves of grain to the white sand beaches of Florida, from great cities from San Francisco to New York. Take advantage of some of the current premium cabin deals from various European destinations to the US ... and plan a trip to the United States for your 2018 summer holidays.

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