[Urbanguy]

Here are the latest statistics of overseas visitors to top U.S. cities. I don't think these numbers include travellers by vehicle (Mexico, Canada) and ship. Why you ask? Well, just take a look at San Diego's figures, it's a city that borders the most travelled border-crossing in the world. I also think that these figures are of MSAs as you can see San Francisco and San Jose are separated.

Anyhow, New York City blows all other cities out the water! :D

Overseas Visitors To Select U.S. Cities: 2007

1. New York City: 7,646,000
2. Los Angeles: 2,652,000
3. Miami: 2,341,000
4. San Francisco: 2,270,000
5. Orlando: 2,055,000
6. Las Vegas: 1,720,000
7. Honolulu: 1,553,000
8. Washington, DC: 1,195,000
8. Chicago: 1,147,000
10. Boston: 1,075,000
11. San Diego: 645,000
12. Philadelphia: 550,000
13. Atlanta: 478,000
13. Houston: 478,000
15. Anaheim: 430,000
15. San Jose: 430,000
17. Seattle: 406,000
18. Dallas/Ft. Worth: 358,000
19. Tampa/St. Petersburg: 334,000

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Offi ce of Travel and Tourism Industries (http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2007_States_and_Cities.pdf)

[alexjon]

Are all that visitors to San Antonio from the states? I thought there were plenty of international visitors to SA

[Urbanguy]

^The majority are domestic but I could be wrong because I am not 100% sure if these stats take into account people that travel into the US by vehicle (and ship). If it does include people who travel by vehicle and ship than I don't know whats up with San Diego which borders the most crossed border in the world.

[dave8721]

Interesting that they would separate LA and Anaheim. I'm sure people travel from all over the world just to see Anaheim...

[mobius42]

Interesting that they would separate LA and Anaheim. I'm sure people travel from all over the world just to see Anaheim...

Why would that be surprising? There are a lot of people who could care less about seeing LA, they are there to see Disneyland which so happens to be in Anaheim.

[bobdreamz]

UrbanGuy for Miami it probably is just for Miami Dade county alone. What surprises me is Orlando considering the tens of millions that visit the theme parks I expected much higher numbers. Thanks for the list!

[Jersey Mentality]

I wondered if Chicago had an international presence, even with the world's second busiest airport and world class musuems and landmarks, it still isn't really internationally known. But there are however many sizable immigrant groups there.

[JDRCRASH]

These numbers are all completely off. I am sorry, but New York and Los Angeles get more than 10 Million visitors annually. :happysad:

In fact, I wouldn't be suprised if they could do that in less than 1 week.

[urbanactivistTX]

These numbers are all completely off. I am sorry, but New York and Los Angeles get more than 10 Million visitors annually. :happysad:

In fact, I wouldn't be suprised if they could do that in less than 1 week.

I'm certain that it's only based on international flight numbers, which inevitably means that a) they're not counting sea travellers (which has ben mentioned previously), and b) they're not counting transfers from domestic flights...like people that arrive from Australia to LAX, then take a domestic flight to visit NYC. It's blatantly obvious that land figures have nothing to do with it, b/c there's more people in the Mexican border/near border metros that commute between countries than those figures suggest.

[Urbanguy]

YW, bobdreamz.

JDRCRASH, are your numbers including domestic travellers?

[JDRCRASH]

YW, bobdreamz.

JDRCRASH, are your numbers including domestic travellers?

I'm talking about their numbers, combined.

[j korzeniowski]

I wondered if Chicago had an international presence, even with the world's second busiest airport and world class musuems and landmarks, it still isn't really internationally known. But there are however many sizable immigrant groups there.

sure it is. not for the right reasons (al capone, crime), but people are coming around to the city internationally.

i work on michigan ave across the river from tribune tower and diagonally from wrigley, and, on a nice summer day when i take the long walk down michigan to the chicago ave red line stop, hearing english is rare.

it seems like the crowds get larger every year, though i am surprised chicago is ahead of boston, for example. it is close enough as to where it is really a draw, but with new york so close, and with boston being such an attractive, nearby town with so much history, well, good on us for being the lone "inland" city with such a large international draw.

sorry, for the boosterism, you may have noticed it is endemic in chicago posters.

[JDRCRASH]

Having the 2016 Summer Olympics in Chicago will definately help it's recognition as an International City.:yes:

But thats IF, it wins.

[IFtowner]

I'm surprised Idaho Falls didn't make the list.

With West Yellowstone so close, it's like an ASIAN INVASION.

Kidding.

I had to.

[murdoc9]

definitely not Idaho Falls, completely Malad Idaho. Nobody can resist the elementary school/pharmacy/local television news station/bar type joints in the town. You want international, you got it. Sarcasm aside, the place does rock - check out the drinking jars!

[diablo234]

I am suprised Houston did not rank higher. We usually get alot of wealthy Mexican nationals, in addition to the oil industry and Texas Medical Center.

[diablo234]

I am suprised Houston did not rank higher, especially when compared with places like San Diego or Atlanta. We usually get alot of wealthy Mexican nationals who shop here, in addition to the oil industry which brings in alot of foreign business, the Texas Medical Center, and NASA.

[Alan934]

wheres detroit? ahaha nvm

[lfc4life]

yes those numbers do not include mexican and canadian travellers

total numbers of visitors in 2006 (millions)
1. Los Angeles: 58.6
2. Orlando: 47.8
3. New York City: 44
4. Chicago: 41.3
5. Las Vegas: 39
6. Atlanta: 37
7. Washington DC: 37
8. San Diego: 32.2
9. Houston: 31
10. Philadelphia: 27.7
11. Dallas: 22.3
12. Phoenix: 21.7
13. Indianapolis: 21.7
14. St Louis: 20.3
15. San Antonio: 20
16. Miami: 19.7
17. Austin: 19
18. Anaheim: 18.4
19. Minneapolis-St. Paul: 18.3
20. Boston: 17.6
21. Tampa: 17
22. Charlotte: 16.6
23. Kansas: 16.5
24. Detroit: 16
25. San Francisco: 15.8
26. Seattle: 15.7
27. Denver: 14.5
28. Nashville: 13.5
29. Fort Lauderdale: 12.3
20. Baltimore: 12

http://www.forbestraveler.com/best-lists/most-visited-us-cities-story.html

[StethJeff]

Why would that be surprising? There are a lot of people who could care less about seeing LA, they are there to see Disneyland which so happens to be in Anaheim.

Are you from LA or just speculating? Honestly, that is ridiculous.

[StethJeff]

:previous: LA + Anaheim = 77 million?!?

Christ.

[Snodrifter]

I'm really surprised Denver is so low.

I wonder what the #s will be this year. There have been a TON of huge conventions here, not to mention the DNC. Do they have to specifically stay in the city, though? I ask because I-70 is a god damned parking lot, even in the middle of nowhere, en route to the ski resorts during the winter. There are actually rush hours in the wilderness. And you see a ton of rental cars, and poor saps loaded up into the RME vans. Heh.

I feel bad for people who live places that require them to pay to make a vacation. Kinda like when I lived in Ohio...

[lfc4life]

I'm really surprised Denver is so low.

I wonder what the #s will be this year. There have been a TON of huge conventions here, not to mention the DNC. Do they have to specifically stay in the city, though? I ask because I-70 is a god damned parking lot, even in the middle of nowhere, en route to the ski resorts during the winter. There are actually rush hours in the wilderness. And you see a ton of rental cars, and poor saps loaded up into the RME vans. Heh.

I feel bad for people who live places that require them to pay to make a vacation. Kinda like when I lived in Ohio...

no they don't have to stay in the city, the numbers i posted reflect total vistors, e.g. LA had 58 million visitors but just over 25 million stayed the night.

regarding conventions a huge % of las vegas revenue comes from conventions and yet the town only attracted 6 million convention goers in 2007 (about 15% of total visitors), this despite the fact that 24,000 conventions were held in vegas in 2007 and the town has 10 million sq ft of convention space

[JDRCRASH]

yes those numbers do not include mexican and canadian travellers

total numbers of visitors in 2006 (millions)
1. Los Angeles: 58.6
2. Orlando: 47.8
3. New York City: 44
4. Chicago: 41.3
5. Las Vegas: 39
6. Atlanta: 37
7. Washington DC: 37
8. San Diego: 32.2
9. Houston: 31
10. Philadelphia: 27.7
11. Dallas: 22.3
12. Phoenix: 21.7
13. Indianapolis: 21.7
14. St Louis: 20.3
15. San Antonio: 20
16. Miami: 19.7
17. Austin: 19
18. Anaheim: 18.4
19. Minneapolis-St. Paul: 18.3
20. Boston: 17.6
21. Tampa: 17
22. Charlotte: 16.6
23. Kansas: 16.5
24. Detroit: 16
25. San Francisco: 15.8
26. Seattle: 15.7
27. Denver: 14.5
28. Nashville: 13.5
29. Fort Lauderdale: 12.3
20. Baltimore: 12

http://www.forbestraveler.com/best-lists/most-visited-us-cities-story.html

Damn....

[ykiki]

Are you from LA or just speculating? Honestly, that is ridiculous.

Obviously I can't speak for mobius42, but I'm from Seattle and when I travel to So. California (about 3 times a yar), sometimes I'll visit just LA and others when I'll visit just Anaheim. As an "outsider" they just seem really different to me.

Perhaps it's the number of airports in the area aside from LAX (Burbank, LB, John Wayne). In this case, there's a ton of tourists that fly into John Wayne, head over to Disneyland for 5 days, and then leave without ever seeing LA.

[fla_tiger]

this list is a joke!

One word in the title alone proves it FLAWED...."select"

Please prove to me that New Orleans, Memphis or Charleston have less international appeal than say, Austin, Phoenix, Detroit or Indianapolis.....