Commerce secretary Carlos Gutierrez's March 26 report oninternational tourism states 2007 was an all-time record forinternational tourism, with more than 56 million foreign visitors,an increase of 14% more than '06 estimates. Foreign travelerspumped $122 billion into the US economy on business and pleasurevisits.

Michael Fishbin, national director of hospitality and leisureservices for Ernst & Young in New York City, tells GlobeSt.comthat from a "market perspective we're seeing foreign travelersfavoring urban, gateway (cities ) and prominent resortmarkets…(and) business travelers are combining business withpleasure by front-ending or back-ending their trips, adding days,and bringing their families along.''

The collapse in the dollar is also forcing the US traveler tostick to home, but not cancelling vacations, despite worsening USeconomic news and consumer economic fears rising as reflected inconsumer confidence reports. "I'm a big believer indemographics…and psycho-graphics. The shear number of (theAmerican) population, aging travelers with money and families withdual incomes'' means they may not go overseas but will vacation inthe states, Fishbin says. "There's a preference for experiences andcultural activity and learning (about cities) that's not going togo away. There's a passion around our society for those experiencesand while we may see some down-trading (to less expensiveproperties by US travelers) the demographics supporting thisindustry is just huge," he says.