US visitors spent $274m here last year, survey reveals

Research from Visa shows that US cardholders spent $274m (€193.4m) travelling in this country in 2007.

The accommodation, retail, car hire and food industries were the main beneficiaries — benefiting to the tune of $79.9m (€56.4m), $64.3m (€45.4m), $33.6m (€23.7m) and $30.1m (€21.2m) respectively.

The dollar’s decline has not dampened enthusiasm for travel abroad among large numbers of Americans, but it has shortened the distance they were willing to travel, according to the survey.

However, Ireland remains a popular destination with US Visa cardholders. It was cited as the 11th most likely international destination survey respondents said they would travel to over the next 12 months.

The survey, which polled only US cardholders who had travelled outside the US in the past three years, found 63% were equally or more willing to travel compared with one year ago.

Around half said they were likely to take a trip abroad in the next 12 months.

For those travellers, Canada and Mexico were their most likely destinations outside the states.

Americans remain enamoured with travel: 74% of respondents who said they were not travelling internationally in the next year.

“Americans love to travel; it’s hard to keep them at home,” said Simon Kleine, the head of external communications for Visa Europe.

“Even though Americans aren’t going as far this year, the fact they continue to exhibit a strong willingness to travel overseas reinforces international tourism as a strong driver of global economic growth.”

Those who were not likely to travel internationally this year cited cost of travel — 54% — and the current state of the economy — 49% — as deterrents.

However, Americans were not confining themselves to backyard barbecues and block parties – they were planning trips within the states to satisfy their wanderlust.

In fact, one of the top three reasons respondents gave for not travelling overseas was they were planning to travel in the US this year, with 49% saying this.

The 2008 US International Travel Outlook was based on phone interviews with 1,000 adult Americans who hold a credit card or a debit card and have travelled outside the US in the past three years.

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper