Caribbean's Visit US In Increasing Numbers
NEW YORK - Visitors from the Caribbean to the U.S. saw a spike this year, latest arrival figures show.
A total of 815,671 Caribbean nationals on visitor`s visas visited the U.S. this year according to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, an increase of 2.7 percent. The majority, a total of 301,680, arrived in the third quarter during the summer months of July and August, according to data analyzed by CaribWorldNews. But while the third quarter growth was the highest for this year, it showed a marked decline over last summer by between 4.5-6.5 percent. However, no Caribbean nation made the top 20 list of top arrivals. Resident visits from the Bahamas, the region`s top market, accounting for 27 percent of all visits, decreased five percent in August 2010. Resident visits from South America increased 19 percent Year To Date but visits from Central America increased one percent. Most visitors to the U.S. arrived in New York or Miami and came largely for pleasure. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that for the first eight months of 2010, 40.2 million international visitors traveled to the United States, a 12 percent increase over the same period in 2009. In August 2010, 6.4 million international visitors traveled to the United States, an increase of 11 percent over August 2009. August 2010 registered the eleventh straight month of increases in U.S. arrivals. International visitors spent $88.2 billion during the first eight months of 2010, 10 percent more than the same period in 2009. In August 2010, international visitors spent $11.5 billion, 15 percent more than in August 2009. August 2010 marks the eighth consecutive month of growth in U.S. travel and tourism-related exports.
