Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Luxury Link.
International tourism is a vital part of the U.S. economy, with foreign tourists spending billions each year to experience the nation’s cities, national parks, and historical landmarks.
In 2023, international tourism generated over $230 billion in exports (adjusted to 2024 dollars), accounting for approximately 22% of all U.S. services exports globally.
The U.S. remains a popular destination for various reasons. While most international visitors come for vacations or holidays, other top reasons include visiting friends and relatives, business, attending conferences or conventions and education.
Last year, over 21 million international travelers cited vacation as their primary reason for visiting the U.S., representing 67% of international visitors. Visiting friends and relatives was the second most popular reason, attracting nearly 11.8 million visitors, or 37% of international tourists.
Once in the U.S., the most popular activity for international tourists is shopping, with nearly 25.8 million visitors (82%) engaging in it. Sightseeing is a close second, with almost 24.3 million tourists (77.2%) participating. Other popular activities include visiting national parks, art galleries and museums, small towns, historical locations, and theme parks.
Following is a breakdown of the top U.S. cities visited by international travelers in 2023. The analysis was conducted by Luxury Link — an online booking platform specializing in luxury travel — using data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. For additional information, refer to the methodology section at the end.
15. Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX
- Overseas visitors: 655,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 122
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 2.1%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +44.6%
14. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA
- Overseas visitors: 655,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 200
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 2.1%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +17.4%
13. Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, FL
- Overseas visitors: 749,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 385
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 2.4%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +11.0%
12. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA
- Overseas visitors: 765,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 123
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 2.4%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +111.3%
11. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
- Overseas visitors: 887,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 121
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 2.8%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +48.8%
10. Boston-Quincy, MA
- Overseas visitors: 1,152,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 569
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 3.7%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +56.1%
9. Honolulu, HI
- Overseas visitors: 1,322,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 1,328
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 4.2%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +85.9%
8. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL
- Overseas visitors: 1,413,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 199
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 4.5%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +33.2%
7. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Overseas visitors: 1,611,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 253
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 5.1%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +38.0%
6. Las Vegas-Paradise, NV
- Overseas visitors: 2,077,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 894
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 6.6%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +25.1%
5. San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA
- Overseas visitors: 2,281,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 1,483
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 7.3%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +31.2%
4. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
- Overseas visitors: 3,518,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 1,273
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 11.2%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +20.5%
3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA
- Overseas visitors: 3,603,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 371
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 11.5%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +31.0%
2. Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL
- Overseas visitors: 4,365,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 1,632
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 13.9%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +6.8%
1. New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ
- Overseas visitors: 8,890,000
- Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 745
- Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 28.3%
- Year-over-year percentage change in overseas visitors: +27.1%
Methodology
Data on international visitation to the United States was sourced from the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Association’s Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT). For the purpose of this analysis, inbound visitors from Canada and Mexico were not included.
Visitation statistics for individual locations do not sum to the national totals due to certain visitors traveling to multiple locations. Similarly, international visitors may list multiple purposes for their trip and multiple leisure activities undertaken on their trip.
Per-capita visitation statistics for each location were calculated using the latest population data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. For each location, the percentage of total overseas visitors coming to the U.S. that visited the specific location was also calculated.
The cities shown are major metropolitan statistical areas, and where applicable, metropolitan divisions tracked by the SIAT.
Add a Comment