Overseas visitors to the U.S. are up more than 12% so far this year and that’s likely to mean a significant increase in foreign arrivals to Houston when final figures are released next year.
The big picture: A preliminary analysis of data from the International Trade Administration shows overseas arrivals to the U.S. (not including Canada and Mexico) hit 2.56 million in November. That moved the total for the first 11 months of the year close to 32 million—an increase of 12.4% over 2023. Meanwhile the number of visitors from Mexico who arrived by air hit 3.1 million for the year, an increase of 15.6%. Figures for Mexican travelers coming to the U.S. by land and Canadians arriving by land and air will be available in coming months.
Why it matters: As an international gateway to Latin America, a hub for many multinational companies and home to millions of foreign-born residents, the Houston area stands to gain significantly from overall growth in foreign visitation to the U.S. In 2023, the number of international visitors to metro Houston grew by 13% to reach 2.5 million, with roughly 1.6 million from Mexico alone. Canada, the UK, India and China rounded out the top five origin markets for overseas visitors to Houston last year.
What's next? Preliminary estimates from Tourism Economics suggest Houston may again see a double-digit percentage increase in international visitors in 2024, with another significant spike in inbound tourists from Mexico.
Written by A.J. Mistretta