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Tourism

Record 93 Million U.S. Citizens Traveled Outside the Country in 2018

Hannah Sampson

Photo Credit: Visitors are shown in Venice, Italy, in this photo from October 2018. The number of U.S. citizens traveling abroad increased by 6 percent last year. Flickr / steffen l

Skift Take

Americans are increasingly eager to explore the world — and able to afford the journey — which is good news for the global travel industry.

More Americans traveled outside the United States than ever before last year, spurred by a growing economy, favorable exchange rates, and high consumer confidence. According to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Commerce Department's National Travel and Tourism Office, the number of U.S. citizens traveling outside the country for business and leisure jumped by 6 percent last year, reaching a total of 93 million. Of those, 45 percent — or 41.8 million — flew to overseas destinations, 9 percent more than in 2018. Europe had the highest numbers and

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