Overseas visitor statistics for California and New York

Where ya’ from dude?

When touring around San Francisco and Yosemite this past month, I heard many foreign languages besides Spanish. Where are all these people from?

Here are some statistics on overseas visitors I picked up at press conferences last week. The first set of data is from a California Travel & Tourism Fact Sheet and the New York data is from a NYC & Company “History of International Travel & Markets” page on International Visitors to NYC.

California Travel & Tourism Commission Facts

California had 13.6 million international visitors in 2010; a 9% increase over 2009.

Asia is driving growth in international arrivals with China, India and South Korea leading the way for overseas visitors.

California overseas visitors in 2010.

1. U.K. = 683,000 visitors spending $688 million.
2. Japan = 545,000 visitors spending $597 million.
3. Australia = 502,000 visitors spending $568 million.
4. China = 399,000 visitors spending $648 million.
5. South Korea = 390,000 visitors spending $460 million.
6. Germany = 388,000 visitors spending $387 million.
7. France = 382,000 visitors spending $354 million.
8. India = 184,000 visitors spending $303 million.
9. Scandinavia = 177,000 visitors spending $335 million.
10. Italy = 163,000 visitors spending $244 million.
11. Brazil = 113,000 visitors spending $147 million.

According to a B&B hostess I stayed with in Ireland back in the 1990s, her anecdotal experience indicated Australians were the most frugal travelers. This California data indicates it is the French holding back their spending. My uninformed explanation is the French probably don’t buy cases of Napa Valley wine to take back home. Then again, maybe the Australians just hang out in California longer.

New York City Overseas Visitors in 2010

1. U.K. = 1,095,000 visitors.
2. Germany = 588,000 visitors.
3. France = 548,000 visitors.
4. Italy = 431,000 visitors.
5. Australia = 419,000 visitors.
6. Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) = 400,000 visitors.
7. Spain = 357,000 visitors.
8. Middle East region (excluding Israel) = 355,000 visitors.
9. Eastern Europe (excluding Russia) = 353,000 visitors.
10. Brazil = 332,000 visitors.
11. BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) = 306,000 visitors.
12. Ireland = 268,000 visitors.
13. Japan = 216,000 visitors.
14. South Korea = 203,000 visitors.
15. China = 183,000 visitors.
16. Argentina = 175,000 visitors.
17. Israel = 169,000 visitors.
18. India = 147,000 visitors.
19. Russia = 94,000 visitors.

Sources: Office of Travel & Tourism Industries, Tourism Economics, NYC & Company.

International tourism is up in California and New York City and so are hotel rates in these globally popular locations.