* European and Caribbean countries are the most popular
* Americans traveled 7% more in 2015 than 2014
* However, fewer tourists are now coming to the States
Americans are now travelling more than ever, but where they’re traveling to, may surprise you.
According to travel research site, Wanderbat, 32.8 million Americans went abroad in 2015, which is a 7% increase upon the previous year. Wanderbat analyzed data from the Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office to find the countries Americans traveled to the most, excluding Mexico and Canada. European nations took five of the top ten, as well as several popular Caribbean destinations.
It may come as no surprise to find that the United Kingdom nabbed the #1 spot, with almost three million visitors from the U.S. in 2015 alone. The UK was closely followed by the Dominican Republic, which maintains a 9% market share of U.S. tourism (about 2.7 million visitors). Rounding out the top five are France, Italy and Germany.
Jamaica takes number six, while Spain, another European nation, comes in at seven, while the Bahamas hit number 9. China at number eight, and India, at number ten, were the only two countries outside of the Caribbean and Europe to crack the top ten.
Travel is expected to grow this year. The latest reports say airfare is 20-30% cheaper than it’s been in months, with discounted rates and more options available to many popular travel destinations.
On the flip side, there’s concern that recent U.S. immigration policy changes might affect tourism stateside. The World Travel and Tourism Council predicts a drop in tourists entering the country this year, and it showed airline bookings were down 6.5% since January.
