With warmer temperatures globally and many schools across North America and Europe observing summer vacation, summer is a peak season for travel around the world. Yet international summer travel plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic due to travel bans, distancing guidelines, and event cancellations. Fortunately, after several summers of reduced travel, international travel is expected to fully recover in 2024.
According to the World Economic Forum , international tourism reached 88% of 2019 levels globally in 2023, edging closer to pre-pandemic figures. While travel to several top international destinations—such as France, Spain, Greece, and the UAE—either fully or nearly recovered in 2023 compared to 2019 levels, travel to the U.S.
lags behind. According to the Department of Commerce’s Survey of International Air Travelers , an estimated 31 million visitors came to the U.S.
in 2023 from overseas regions, down from 40 million in 2019. This decline has resulted in a slight drop in the U.S.
share of the total global tourism market, from 5.4% to 5.3%.
Source: Luxury Link analysis of U.S. Department of Commerce data Experts attribute America’s slower recovery to several factors that complicate travel for international visitors, such as strict visa requirements and lengthy customs wait times.
These issues are significant because international tourism is a vital part of the U.S. economy, with foreign tourists spending billions each year to experience the country's cities, .