Tourism in the United States
cans seek similar attractions, as well as recreation and
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Florida, is the most vis-
ited theme park in the world. As of 2016, Orlando is the most
visited destination in the United States, and one of the most visited
destinations in the world.
The Grand Canyon of Arizona attracts approximately 4.41 mil-
lion visitors each year.
Tourism in the United States is a large industry that
serves millions of international and domestic tourists
yearly. Tourists visit the US to see natural wonders, cities,
historic landmarks, and entertainment venues. Ameri-
1
vacation areas.
Tourism in the United States grew rapidly in the form of
urban tourism during the late nineteenth and early twenti-
eth centuries. By the 1850s, tourism in the United States
was well established both as a cultural activity and as
an industry. New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia,
Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, all major US
cities, attracted a large number of tourists by the 1890s.
By 1915, city touring had marked significant shifts in the
way Americans perceived, organized, and moved.
Democratization of travel occurred during the early twen-
tieth century when the automobile revolutionized travel.
Similarly air travel revolutionized travel during 1945–
1969, contributing greatly to tourism in the United States.
Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and ser-
vices by international visitors traveling in the United
States totaled $10.9 billion during February 2013.[1]
The travel and tourism industry in the United States were
among the first commercial casualties of the September
11, 2001 attacks, a series of terrorist attacks on the US.
Terrorists used four commercial airliners as weapons of
destruction, all of which were destroyed in the attacks.
In the US, tourism is either the first, second, or third
largest employer in 29 states, employing 7.3 million in
2004, to take care of 1.19 billion trips tourists took in
the US in 2005. As of 2007, there are 2,462 registered
National Historic Landmarks (NHL) recognized by the
United States government. As of 2016, Orlando is the
most visited destionation in the United States.[2]
Tourists spend more money in the United States than any
other country, while attracting the second-highest num-
ber of tourists after France.[3] The discrepancy may be
explained by longer stays in the US.[3]
1 History
1.1 19th century
The rise of urban tourism in the United States during
the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries repre-
sented a major cultural transformation concerning urban
space, leisure natural activity and as an industry.[4] Al-
though travel agents and package tours did not exist until
the 1870s and 1880s, entrepreneurs of various sorts from
hotel keepers and agents for railroad lines to artists and
2 1 HISTORY

writers recognized the profit to be gained from the pros- Mount Auburn Cemetery in 1831, the Perkins School for
pering tourism industry.[4] The rise of locomotive steam- the Blind in 1832, and the Worcester State Hospital in
powered trains during the 1800s enabled tourists to travel 1833.[11]
more easily and quickly.[5] These institutions attracted the curiosity of American and
In the United States 2,800 miles (4,500 km) of track had foreign visitors. The English writer and actress Fanny
been completed by 1840, by 1860 all major eastern US Kemble was an admirer of the American prison system
cities were linked by rail, and by 1869 the first trans- who was also concerned that nature was being destroyed
American railroad link was completed.[6] Yosemite Park in favor of new developments. Guidebooks published in
was developed as a tourist attraction in the late 1850s the 1830s, 40s and 50s described new prisons, asylums
and early 1860s for an audience who wanted a national and institutions for the deaf and blind, and urged tourists
icon and place to symbolize exotic wonder of its region.[4] to visit these sights.[12]
Photography played an important role for the first time in Accounts of these visits written by Charles Dickens,
the development of tourist attractions, making it possible Harriet Martineau, Lydia Sigourney and Caroline Gilman
to distribute hundreds of images showing various places were published in magazines and travel books.[12] Sigour-
of interest.[4] ney’s Scenes in My Native Land (1845) included descrip-
New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, tions of her tour of Niagara Falls and other places of
D.C., and San Francisco, all major US cities, attracted scenic interest with accounts of her visits to prisons and
a large number of tourists by the 1890s.[7] New York’s asylums.[12] Many visited these institutions because noth-
population grew from 300,000 in 1840 to 800,000 in ing like them had existed before.[13] The buildings which
1850.[8] Chicago experienced a dramatic increase from housed them were themselves monumental, often placed
4,000 residents in 1840 to 300,000 by 1870. Dictionaries on hilltops as a symbol of accomplishment.[13]
first published the word 'tourist' sometime in 1800, when
it referred to those going to Europe or making a round
trip of natural wonders in New York and New England. 1.2 Early tourism
The absence of urban tourism during the nineteenth cen-
tury was in part because American cities lacked the ar- By 1915, city touring had marked significant shifts in the
chitecture and art which attracted thousands to Europe. way Americans perceived, organized and moved around
American cities tended to offend the sensitive with ugli- in urban environments.[7] Urban tourism became a prof-
ness and commercialism rather than inspire awe or aes- itable industry in 1915 as the number of tour agen-
thetic pleasure.[9] Some tourists were fascinated by the cies, railroad passenger departments, guidebook publish-
rapid growth of the new urban areas: “It is an absorbing ers and travel writers grew at a fast pace.[7] The expense
thing to watch the process of world-making; both the for- of pleasure tours meant that only the minority of Amer-
mation of the natural and the conventional world,” wrote icans between 1850 and 1915 could experience the lux-
English writer Harriet Martineau in 1837.[10] ury of tourism.[7] Many Americans traveled to find work,
but few found time for enjoyment of the urban environ-
ment. As transportation networks improved, the length
of commuting decreased, and income rose.[7] A growing
number of Americans were able to afford short vacations
by 1915. Still, mass tourism was not possible until after
World War II.[7]
During the nineteenth century, tourism of any form had
been available only to the upper and middle classes. This
changed during the early twentieth century through the
democratization of travel. In 1895, popular publications
printed articles showing the car was cheaper to operate
than the horse.[14] The development of automobiles in the
early 1900s included the introduction of the Ford Model
The Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts T in 1908. In 1900, 8,000 cars were registered [15]
in the
was one of many similar institutions classed as tourist attractions US, which increased to 619,000 by 1911. By the time
in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. of the Model T’s introduction in 1908, there were 44 US
households per car.[15] Early cars were a luxury for the
As American cities developed, new institutions to accom- wealthy, but after Ford began to dramatically [16]
drop prices
modate and care for the insane, disabled and criminal after 1913, more were able to afford one.
were constructed. The Hartford, Connecticut American The development of hotels with leisure complexes had
School for the Deaf opened in 1817, Ossining, New become a popular development during the 1930s in
York state prison (now known as Sing Sing) in 1825, the the United States.[17] The range of “club” type holidays
Connecticut State Penitentiary at Wethersfield in 1827, available appealed to a broad segment of the holiday
1.4 21st century
market.[17] As more families traveled independently by
car, hotels failed to cater to their needs.[17] Kemmons
Wilson opened the first motel as a new form of accom-
modation in Memphis, Tennessee in 1952.[17]
The Art Deco district of South Beach in Miami, Florida was de-
veloped during the 1930s.
Although thousands of tourists visited Florida during the
early 1900s, it was not until after World War II that the
tourist industry quickly became Florida’s largest source
of income.[18] Florida’s white sandy beaches, hot summer
temperatures and wide range of activities such as swim-
ming, fishing, boating and hiking all attracted tourists
to the state. During the 1930s, architects designed Art
Deco style buildings in Miami Beach.[19] Visitors are still
attracted to the Art Deco district of Miami.[19] Theme
parks were soon built across Florida. One of the largest
resorts in the world, Walt Disney World Resort, was
opened near Orlando, Florida in 1971.[20] In its first year,
the 28,000-acre (110 km2 ) park added $14 billion to Or-
lando’s economy.
1.3 Late 20th century
The Douglas DC-4 was one of the first airliners in the United
States used for commercial flights.
The revolution of air travel between 1945 and 1969 con- especially to destinations like New Zealand. This quick
tributed greatly to tourism in the United States. In that revival was generally quicker than many
quarter century, commercial aviation evolved from 28-
passenger airliners flying at less than 200 mph (320 km/h) The United States economy began to slow significantly in
to 150-passenger jetliners cruising continents at 600 mph 2007, mostly because of a real-estate slump, gas prices
3
(970 km/h).[21] During this time, air travel in the US
evolved from a novelty into a routine for business trav-
elers and vacationers alike. Rapid developments in avia-
tion technology, economic prosperity in the United States
and the demand for air travel all contributed to the early
beginnings of commercial aviation in the US.[21]
During the first four decades of the twentieth century,
long-haul journeys between large American cities were
accomplished using trains. By the 1950s, air travel was
part of everyday life for many Americans.[21] The tourism
industry in the US experienced exponential growth as
tourists could travel almost anywhere with a fast, reliable
and routine system.[21] For some, a vacation in Hawaii
was now a more frequent pleasure. Air travel changed
everything from family vacations to Major League Base-
ball, as had steam-powered trains in the nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries.[21]
By the end of the twentieth century, tourism had signifi-
cantly grown throughout the world. The World Tourism
Organisation (WTO, 1998) recorded that, in 1950, ar-
rivals of tourists from abroad, excluding same-day visits,
numbered about 25.2 million.[22] By 1997, the figure was
612.8 million. In 1950 receipts from international move-
ments were US$2.1 billion, in 1997 they were $443.7
billion.[22]
1.4 21st century
The travel and tourism industry in the United States was
among the first commercial casualties of the September
11, 2001 attacks, a series of terrorist attacks on the US.
Terrorists used four commercial airliners as weapons of
destruction, all of which were destroyed in the attacks
with 3,000 casualties.[23] In the first full week after flights
resumed, passenger numbers fell by nearly 45 percent,
from 9 million in the week before September 11 to 5
million.[23] Hotels and travel agencies received cancella-
tions across the world. The hotel industry suffered an es-
timated $700 million loss in revenue during the four days
following the attacks.[23] The situation recovered over the
following months as the Federal Reserve kept the finan-
cial system afloat. The U.S. Congress issued a $5 billion
grant to the nation’s airlines and $10 billion in loan guar-
antees to keep them flying.[23]
In the US, tourism is either the first, second or third largest
employer in 29 states, employing 7.3 million in 2004, to
take care of 1.19 billion trips tourists took in the US in
2005.[24] The US outbound holiday market is sensitive in
the short term, but possibly one of the most surprising
results from the September 11, 2001 attacks was that by
February 2002 it had bounced back for overseas travel,
[25]
commentators
had predicted only five months earlier.
4 5
and related financial problems.[26] Many economists be-
lieve that the economy entered a recession at the end of
2007 or early in 2008.[26] Some state budgets for tourism
marketing have decreased, such as Connecticut which is
facing soaring gas prices.[27]
100 million tourists visited Florida in 2015, a record for
the nation.[28]
2 Attractions
Main article: Tourist attractions in the United States
Today, there exists a wide range of tourist attractions
in the United States such as amusement parks, festivals,
gambling, golf courses, historical buildings and land-
marks, hotels, museums, galleries, outdoor recreation,
spas, restaurants and sports.
3 Statistics
Number of non-immigrant admissions for tourist and business
purposes into the United States in fiscal year 2013
United States
Over 2 million admissions
Over 1 million admissions
Over 500 thousand admissions
Over 250 thousand admissions
Over 100 thousand admissions
Over 15 thousand admissions
Under 15 thousand admissions
Highest number of non-immigrant admissions for tourists
and for business purposes into the United States in fiscal
year 2013 was from the following countries (listed over [19] Cerwinske, Laura; Kaminsky, David (1981), Tropical
700,000 admissions):[29]
4 See also
• Visa policy of the United States
• Ecotourism in the United States
• List of World Heritage Sites in the United States
• Welcome centers in the United States
REFERENCES
5 References
[1] INTERNATIONAL VISITORS SPEND $14.3 BILLION IN
FEBRUARY 2013, UP 5 PERCENT FROM FEBRUARY
2012, April 15, 2013, retrieved April 19, 2013
[2] http://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/666807/
magic-kingdom-orlando-top-us-tourist-destination
[3] “France learns to speak 'touriste'". Associated Press.
[4] Sears, John F. (1989), Sacred Places: American Tourist
Attractions in the Nineteenth Century, University of Mas-
sachusetts Press, p. 123, ISBN 1-55849-162-7
[5] “Summer Travel” (PDF), The New York Times, July 19,
1868, retrieved October 22, 2013
[6] Standeven, Joy; de Knop, Paul (1999), Sport Tourism, Hu-
man Kinetics, p. 20, ISBN 0-87322-853-7
[7] Cocks, Catherine (2001), Doing the Town: The Rise of Ur-
ban Tourism in the United States, 1850-1915, University of
California Press, pp. 6–7, ISBN 0-520-22746-8
[8] Cocks 2001, pp. 6–7
[9] Cocks 2001, p. 11
[10] Sears, C.; Davis, T.; Guydish, J. (Jan 2002), “Effects of
treatment history and centralized intake on drug treatment
outcomes.”, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 34 (1): 87–
95, doi:10.1080/02791072.2002.10399940, ISSN 0279-
1072, PMID 12003118
[11] Sears, John F. 1989, p. 11
[12] Sears, John F. 1989, p. 89
[13] Sears, John F. 1989, p. 90
[14] Lay, M. G.; Vance, James E. (1992), Ways of the World:
A History of the World’s Roads and of the Vehicles That
Used Them, Rutgers University Press, p. 174, ISBN 0-
8135-2691-4
[15] Lay & Vance 1992, p. 170
[16] Lay & Vance 1992, p. 180
[17] Standeven & de Knop 1999, p. 31
[18] Viele, John (1996), The Florida Keys: A History of the
Pioneers, Pineapple Press, p. 135, ISBN 1-56164-101-4
Deco: The Architecture and Design of Old Miami Beach,
Rizzoli, ISBN 0-8478-0345-7
[20] Grant, Kim; Penland, Paige R. (January 2003), Florida
(3rd ed.), Lonely Planet Publications, p. 27, ISBN 1-
74059-136-4
[21] Yenne, Bill (2005), Classic American Airliners, Zenith Im-
print, p. 8, ISBN 0-7603-1931-6
[22] Ryan, Chris (2003), Recreational tourism: Demand and
Impacts, Channel View Publications, p. 18, ISBN 1-
873150-56-3
 5

[23] Mak, James (2003), Tourism and the Economy: under-

standing the economics of tourism, University of Hawaii
Press, p. 193, ISBN 0-8248-2789-9

[24] Parks, Janet B.; Jerome, Quaterman; Lucie, Thibault

(2007), Contemporary sport management, Human Kinet-
ics, p. 142, ISBN 0-7360-6365-X

[25] Ryan 2003, p. 28

[26] Leonhardt, David (2008), “United States Economy”, New

York Times, retrieved May 19, 2008

[27] Levy, Harlan J. (May 18, 2008), “Trying to Sell Euro-

peans stuff”, The New York Times, retrieved May 19, 2008

[28] Day, Ashley (March 6, 2016). “Florida shines brightly in

spring”. USA Today/Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida).
pp. 3U. Retrieved March 6, 2016.

[29] 2013 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics

6 External links
• United States of America travel guide from
Wikivoyage

• Office of Travel and Tourism Industries

• Discover America - The Official Travel and Tourism
Website of the United States.
• Receptive Services Association of America
6 7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

7 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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Rmhermen, Dori, Snoyes, Conti, RickK, Warofdreams, Dale Arnett, Pigsonthewing, Tlogmer, Kyle Rayner, Sverdrup, Hadal, Alan Lieft-
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Sirlearnsalot, Elkman, MCB, Dschor, Nationalparks, Wai Hong, Sardanaphalus, SmackBot, Durova, Chris the speller, Colonies Chris,
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Jackieboy87, Albany NY, Inkan1969, Tbone55, HiLo48, Felix Han, Student7, Andy Marchbanks, Funandtrvl, Kyle the bot, Epson291,
Philip Trueman, Optigan13, Adam.J.W.C., TerrySRA, Bahamut0013, Robothefreak, Ronmore, Barkeep, Android Mouse Bot, Macpops,
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