NOVEMBER SHOWS GROWTH FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITATION LEVELS
Commerce Numbers Show 11 Percent Growth For the First Eleven Months of 2004

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that 2.8 million international visitors traveled to the United States in November 2004, an increase of nearly 3 percent over November 2003. Arrivals year-to-date totaled 35.0 million, an increase of 11 percent from the same period last year. The United States has experienced growth in visitation for 14 successive months.

"As the world economy grows, international visitation to the United States continues to rise," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Services Douglas B. Baker. "We will look to 2004 as the year that international travel to the United States truly recovered in export value from the debilitating effects of September 11, 2001."

Highlights of November 2004 International Arrivals to the United States from Top Markets

• Canadian visitation grew almost 9 percent over November of 2003, and year-to-date visitation of 13.0 million was up by 9 percent year-to-date.
  
• Arrivals from Mexico (traveling to interior U.S. points) dropped almost 14 percent over November of 2003, but were still up 5 percent year-to-date.
  
• Overseas arrivals (not including Canada and Mexico) increased 2 percent over November of 2003 and arrivals were up 14 percent year-to-date.
  
• Western European visitation levels rose 4 percent over November of 2003 and 13 percent year-to-date.
  
• United Kingdom visitation increased 2 percent over November of 2003 and was up 10 percent year-to-date. The U.K. remains the top overseas arrival market for the United States.
  
• German arrivals were up almost 1 percent over November of 2003 and 13 percent year-to-date.
  
• Asian visitation was down more than 2 percent from November of 2003, but was up 18 percent year-to-date. Japanese arrivals decreased 1 percent over November of 2003, but were up 21 percent for the year to date.
  
• Arrivals from South America increased 5 percent over November of 2003 and were up 9 percent year-to-date.
  
• The number of travelers from Oceania increased 18 percent over November of 2003, and visitation increased 27 percent year-to-date. Australian arrivals were up almost 20 percent over November 2003 and increased 30 percent year-to-date.

Note: Please see attached tables with November 2004 arrival data.