Visa data reveals shift in travel spending patterns
Travel spend data from Visa has shown that China knocked the UK out of the top three inbound countries to the US last year, for the first time since 2009.
According to its 2012 Travel Snapshot, released this week, spending by visitors from China grew a massive 30% compared to 2011.
Another big mover was Argentina, which made the list of top 15 inbound spending countries in the US, increasing travel spend by an impressive 50.5% compared to 2011.
In 2012, international travelers spent a total of $42.6B on tourism-related purchases on their Visa accounts in the US, an almost 6.4% increase compared to 2011.
Visa said the positive upswing was not as high as the 17% recorded between 2010 and 2011.
The coastal states of Florida (+10%), California (+7%) and New York (+5%) remained favorite destinations for international travelers, representing more than half of all inbound tourism revenue in 2012.
But America’s Dairyland, Wisconsin, showed impressive growth with a 31% increase in spend compared to 2011. Hawaii (+14%), Washington (+12%), Texas (+7%) and Nevada (+6%) followed close behind in terms of total dollar volume spent on Visa accounts.
The top 10 inbound markets were
Canada +4%
Brazil +6%
China +30%
UK +2%
Mexico +7%
Japan +6%
Australia -4%
France -3%
Puerto Rico +10%
Germany +3%
Meanwhile, American Visa account holders increased spending overseas by 6% to $34.8B in 2012.
While many of the top travel destinations remained the same, Japan proved to be a major destination of choice, with increased tourism spending of 17%.
The top 10 outbounds markets were
Mexico +17%
Canada -1%
UK +4%
Italy -2%
France +5%
Germany +4%
Puerto Rico +6%
China +3%
Japan +17%
Spain –
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026