Tourism in United States of America

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 gambling venues. Americans seek similar attractions, as well as recreation and vacation areas. Tourism in the United States grew rapidly in the form of urban tourism during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By the 1850s, tourism in the United States was well-established both as a cultural activity and as an industry. New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and San Franscisco, 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 around in urban environments. Democratization of travel occurred during the early twentieth century when the automobile revolutionized travel. Similarly air travel revolutionized travel during 1945–1969, contributing greatly to tourism in the United States. By 2007 the number of international tourists had climbed to over 56 million people who spent $122.7 billion dollars, setting an all time record.

In the US, tourism is either the first, second or third largest employer in 29 states, to take care of 1.19 billion trips tourists took in the US in 2005. There are 2,462 registered National Historic Landmarks (NHL) recognized by the US Government. The most visited tourist attraction in the US is Times Square in Manhattan, New York City which attracts approximately 35 million visitors yearly.

Early Tourism

By 1915, city touring had marked significant shifts in the way Americans perceived, organized and moved around in urban environments. Urban tourism became a profitable industry in 1915 as the number of tour agencies, railroad passenger departments, guidebook publishers and travel writers grew at a fast pace. The expense of pleasure tours meant that only the minority of Americans between 1850 and 1915 could experience the luxury of tourism. Many Americans traveled to find work, but few found time for enjoyment of the urban environment. As transportation networks improved, the length of commuting decreased, and income rose. A growing number of Americans were able to afford short vacations by 1915. Still, mass tourism was not possible until after World War II.

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. The development of automobiles in the early 1900s included the introduction of the Ford Model T in 1908. In 1900, 8,000 cars were registered in the US, which increased to 619,000 by 1911. By the time of the Model T's introduction in 1908, there were 44 US households per car. Early cars were a luxury for the wealthy, but after Ford began to dramatically drop prices after 1913, more were able to afford one.

The development of hotels with leisure complexes had become a popular development during the 1930s in the United States. The range of "club" type holidays available appealed to a broad segment of the holiday market. As more families traveled independently by car, hotels failed to cater to their needs. Kemmons Wilson opened the first motel as a new form of accommodation in Memphis, Tennessee in 1952.

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. Florida's white sandy beaches, hot summer temperatures and wide range of activities such as swimming, fishing, boating and hiking all attracted tourists to the state. During the 1930s, architects designed Art Deco style buildings in Miami Beach. Visitors are still attracted to the Art Deco district of Miami, Florida. Theme parks were soon built across Florida. One of the largest resorts in the world, the Walt Disney World Resort, was opened in Orlando, Florida in 1971. In its first year, the 28,000-acre (110 km²) park added $14 billion to Orlando's economy.

Late 20th century

The revolution of air travel between 1945 and 1969 contributed greatly to tourism in the United States. In that quarter century, commercial aviation evolved from 28-passenger airliners flying at less than 200 mph (320 km/h) to 150-passenger jetliners cruising continents at 600 mph (970 km/h). During this time, air travel in the US evolved from a novelty into a routine for business travelers and vacationers alike. Rapid developments in aviation 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. 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 every-day life for many Americans. The tourism industry in the United States experienced exponential growth as tourists could travel almost anywhere with a fast, reliable and routine system. For some, a vacation in Hawaii was now a more frequent pleasure. Air travel changed everything from family vacations to Major League Baseball, as had steam-powered trains in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

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. 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. Hotels and travel agencies received cancellations across the world. The hotel industry suffered an estimated $700 million loss in revenue during the four days following the attacks. The situation recovered over the following months as the Federal Reserve kept the financial system afloat.

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. 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, especially to destinations like New Zealand. This quick revival was generally quicker than many commentators had predicted only five months earlier.

Tourist Attractions

Today, a wide range of tourist attractions exist in the United States such as amusement parks, festivals, gambling tourism, golf courses, historical buildings and landmarks, hotels, museums, galleries, outdoor recreation, spas tourism, restaurants and sports. The most visited tourist sites in the US were:

1. Times Square
   
2. Las Vegas Strip in New York City, New York
3. National Mall and Memorial Parks in Las Vegas, Nevada
4. Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts
5. Disney World's Magic Kingdom Lake Buena Vista, Florida
6. Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California
7. Fisherman's Wharf/Golden Gate Area in San Francisco, California
8. Niagara Falls in New York
9. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee, North Carolina and Knoxville, Tennessee
10. Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois
11. Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Las Vegas, Nevada
12. Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida
13. SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida
14. San Antonio River Walk in San Antonio, Texas
15. Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah
16. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
17. Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California
18. Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, N.Y
19. Waikiki Beach in Oahu, Hawaii
20. Grand Canyon in Arizona
21. Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Florida
22. Cape Cod National Seashore in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
23. SeaWorld San Diego in San Diego, California
24. American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York City
25. Atlantic City Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Landmarks

Tourism in United States of America were registered 2,462 National Historic Landmarks (NHL) recognized by the US Government. The majority of these are located in New York, California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Each major US city has thousands of landmarks. For example, New York City has 23,000 landmarks designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. These landmarks include various individual buildings, interiors, historic districts, and scenic sites which define the culture and character of New York City.

Natural Wonders Tourism in USA

The Grand Canyon is one of the most well known landmarks in the US. Other landmarks include Mount Rushmore, the Apalachians, the Rocky Mountains and Stone Mountain. Tourism in Grand Canyon is one of the best tourist attraction site in USA.

Sport

Since the 1960s, sport has become an international affair, attracting a considerable amount of media attention, revenue, participants and political interest. 25% of tourism receipts in the United States were related to sports tourism; this would have valued the market at approximately $350 billion annually. The nature of the sport's media relationship has been distinctly shaped by the emergence of American capitalism since the 1830s. Sports in the United States have attracted tourists for many decades. The 1997 New York City Marathon attracted 12,000 visitors from outside the US of 28,000 participants.