US Tourism in Numbers: 72 Million Visitors and Still Below Its Pre-Pandemic Peak

The United States remains the world's largest single tourism spend destination by dollar value, and its 2024 numbers show real, continued recovery — 72.39 million international visitors, up 9.1% from 2023. But the same numbers carry an honest caveat most US tourism marketing skips: even with that growth, the country still hasn't reclaimed its 2019 peak of 79.44 million visitors, sitting about 8.9% below it.

The Numbers: Recovery, Not Yet a New Record

International visitors spent roughly $253.9 billion on US travel and tourism in 2024, averaging about $2,970 per visitor. What's easy to miss in the topline figure is how much of that 72.39 million comes from next door rather than overseas: Canada (20.24 million) and Mexico (16.99 million) remain the two largest source markets by a wide margin, meaning well over half of all international arrivals are cross-border neighbors rather than long-haul international leisure travelers.

Which Cities and Parks Actually Draw the Crowds

New York State pulled in 9.8 million international tourists in 2024, more than any other state, with the New York metro area alone accounting for over 9.5 million of those visits. Los Angeles, Orlando, Miami and Las Vegas round out the next tier of most-visited US cities for international travelers. Separately — and on a completely different scale — the National Park Service logged a record 331.9 million total recreation visits in 2024, a figure combining domestic and international visitors and reflecting just how much of America's park system draw is homegrown road-trip tourism rather than international travel specifically.

Why the Draw Is Split Between City and Wilderness

Few countries offer two almost entirely unrelated tourism identities under one passport stamp the way the US does: dense, globally recognizable cities (New York's skyline, LA's entertainment industry) on one side, and vast public wilderness (Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite) on the other. A visitor drawn by one has essentially no overlap in expectations with a visitor drawn by the other, which is part of why US tourism marketing tends to split so cleanly along those lines rather than pushing one unified national image.

What's Slowing the Recovery

The gap to 2019 hasn't closed for a mix of commonly cited reasons: visa and entry-process friction for travelers from several major source countries, a historically strong US dollar that makes American travel comparatively expensive for overseas visitors converting from weaker currencies, and broader shifts in global travel patterns that have benefited other destinations over the same period. None of this points to declining interest in the US as a destination — arrivals are still growing year over year — just a slower climb back to the pre-pandemic ceiling than some other major destinations have managed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many international tourists visit the US each year?

72.39 million in 2024, up 9.1% from 2023, but still about 8.9% below the 2019 peak of 79.44 million.

Which countries send the most visitors to the US?

Canada (20.24 million) and Mexico (16.99 million) are by far the two largest source markets — together accounting for well over half of all international arrivals.

Is New York the most-visited US destination?

For international visitors specifically, yes — New York State drew 9.8 million international tourists in 2024, more than any other state, followed by Los Angeles, Orlando, Miami and Las Vegas.