International travel to the U.S. continues to rise despite recent challenges posed by President Donald Trump's administration.
The U.S. Travel Association announced Wednesday that the number of visitors to the U.S. in May rose 5.2 percent, compared to the same month during 2016, according to The Hill.
U.S. Travel's monthly travel index comes less than a week after Trump's executive order temporarily banning travel from six Muslim-majority countries partially went into effect and months after a controversial ban on laptops and other large electronic devices rolled out at several airports in the Middle East and Africa.
Last month, U.S. Travel reported similar international arrival figures for April and pointed out that any negative impact resulting from Trump administration policies would have been felt by then.
"There is widespread talk of daunting challenges to the U.S. travel market-perception of the country abroad is mentioned most, but the strong dollar and slowing global economy are factors as well-yet the resilience of our sector continues to astound," said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow in a statement.
Dow credits marketing organization's like Brand USA for crafting a welcoming message to overseas travelers.
"Tourism marketing efforts at the federal, state and local level undoubtedly deserve a large measure of credit, and policymakers need to be aware of the large dividends these programs are paying for economic activity, jobs and tax revenues," Dow continued.
Trump's recent budget proposal called for the elimination of the federally-funded Brand USA. The potential move was quickly condemned by Dow and others in the industry, citing the bipartisan effort's massive contribution to the U.S. economy.
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Despite May's encouraging numbers, U.S. Travel is wary about the pace of growth over the remainder of 2017.
The trade association's six-month forecast projects U.S. travel volume to grow roughly 1.8 percent through November. Domestic travel is expected to rise by about 2.2 percent over that time. Meanwhile, international travel is predicted to decline slightly.
For now, the travel and tourism industry can take solace in the fact the numbers don't reflect the doom and gloom that was originally anticipated.
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