International travelers could return to the US in 2024
A weakening U.S. dollar and normalizing travel environment means major gateway cities across the country can expect to see more inbound international travel in 2024
A strong U.S. dollar is one of the main reasons why many leisure travelers went overseas — particularly to European destinations — in 2023 without a corresponding influx of foreign inbound travelers, but Lodging Analytics Research & Consulting said that phenomenon is set-up to flip in 2023.
Key takeaways
- International inbound travel was still down 17.5% year to date through October compared to 2019 levels, but Lodging Analytics believes international travel trends are a major reason to feel optimistic heading into the new year;
- "When the dollar decreases in value, U.S. destinations become more affordable for foreign inbound travelers, and international destinations become more expensive for U.S. travelers," he said. "That is a tailwind for leisure travel, especially related to domestic travel," the company says;
- Lodging Analytics expects the best performing markets in 2024 to be those with a high exposure to travelers from Asia, since they tend to be the gateway markets that have seen the slowest recovery in international demand. The bounce back in international inbound travel will be felt the strongest during summer leisure travel months.
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