International inbound travel to the United States is expected to drop 6 percent over the next three months as concerns over the coronavirus continue to grow, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
The latest Travel Trends Index shows travel to and within the U.S. grew 3 percent in January 2020 compared to the year prior. International inbound travel increased 0.2 percent; meanwhile, domestic leisure travel rose 4.2 percent (above its six-month average of 3.4 percent) and domestic business travel grew 1.6 percent (more than doubling its six-month trend of 0.6 percent).
In the coming months, however, the U.S. Travel Association expects international inbound travel will significantly decline as fears and restrictions over coronavirus escalate. The anticipated 6 percent drop in international inbound travel would be the largest since the 2008 financial crisis.
The U.S. Travel Association also predicts slower domestic growth over the next few months, although president and CEO Roger Dow stressed that there is no reason for people to halt domestic travel plans at this time.
"There is a lot of uncertainty around coronavirus, and it is pretty clear that it is having an effect on travel demand -— not just from China, and not just internationally -- but for domestic business and leisure travel as well," said Dow in a statement. "A big part of the coronavirus narrative is about whether it's safe to travel, but it's important to keep in mind that the restrictions and warnings are highly specific to countries where there have been pronounced outbreaks. Right now, there is absolutely no official guidance that people need to be reconsidering travel in the U.S."
