Friday, August 07, 2009
The effects of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are starting to wear off, at least as far as tourists and business travelers coming to the United States. Following the attacks on New York and Washington, DC, the number of visitors nationwide dropped by more than five million from 2000 to 2004. The latest numbers from the Department of Transportation, however, show 25.3 million tourists visited in 2008, which is almost equal to the total in 2000 of 25.9 million.
The news is even better for New York City. Tourists are flocking once again to the Big Apple, which saw its visitor totals fluctuate from 5.7 million (2000) to 5.1 million (2004) to 8.2 million (2008). The figures aren’t quite as good for the nation’s capital, but they are improving. After seeing its tourist numbers drop by 400,000 from 2000 to 2004, Washington welcomed 1.47 million visitors in 2008, almost the same total it experienced in 2000.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Table 4-22: Overseas Visitors to the United States by Destination City1: 2000, 2004, and 2008 (Research and Innovative Technology Administration)
Comments