by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 12:05 PM ET, Thu August 8, 2024
The U.S. Travel Association released a report highlighting current economic conditions of the travel and tourism industry within the United States, with an emphasis on growth and stability despite recent and broader economic swings.
While international travel remains stronger and more popular, 92 percent of Americans are planning trips within the next six months, and TSA passenger counts continue setting records. International visitors have been increasing, with inbound visitors up 18 percent this year.
The travel industry itself has added 18,000 jobs over the past two months. In July, the leisure and hospitality sector alone now employs just under 17 million people, an increase of almost 300,000 from last July.
While all of these are good signs, the U.S. Travel Association still recommends expanding the H-2B guest worker program to help fill the one million jobs that remain open within the travel industry.
We’ve reported on recent data and asked travel advisors if they’ve been seeing less travelers using their services this summer due to economic restraints: some travelers have been choosing, due to the election and inflation, not to travel as much as before, though others haven’t given a thought to the higher airfare and travel costs.
And Disney predicted a downturn in visitors to its domestic parks the rest of the year, as travelers become increasingly more focused on saving money. In July, the parks reduced ticket prices and some food options to try and encourage more travelers to visit.
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