In this article, we will be taking a look at the 25 most visited cities in North America. To skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to see the 5 most visited cities in North America.
Even though it's been almost a year and a half since the major threat of the Covid-19 pandemic subsided, tourism, one of the hardest impacted industries in the world, is still yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. However, there is still some good news as the World Travel & Tourism Council has stated its belief that while the tourism industry may not recover fully this year, it will still be pretty close, which is huge news for a sector expected to be worth $9.5 trillion in 2023, and a major contributor to the global economy.
The travel and tourism industry's resilience can be seen in the fact that after being completely decimated in 2020, it still recovered by 22% in 2021 and a further 25% in 2022. One of the biggest impediments to the travel industry's recovery was China's zero-Covid policy, which left little room for any travel to and from China, one of the biggest tourist markets in the world. This is why, now that China has abandoned this policy and opened its doors again, it is likely that the global tourism sector will recover fully in 2024. Already, in 2022, 34 out of 185 countries had seen their tourism levels rebound to pre-pandemic levels and an additional 50 countries will either fully or nearly, reach this target by the end of 2023, which will be especially great news for the most visited cities in North America.
25 most visited cities in North America
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Because of the pent-up demand, airlines were able to charge exorbitant prices for flight tickets resulting in some profitable quarters for some of the most profitable airlines in the world, even though many are still struggling to turn over a consistent annual profit. These airlines also find a lot in common with the richest airlines in the world, even though it is surprising to see that some low-cost and ultra low-cost carriers have still been able to amass large cash reserves. Because of higher prices as a result of higher demand and of course, the fact the fuel prices have decreased, many airlines have seen their share price soar including Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), as the airline sector's index reached a two year high due to greater demand from investors for stock. Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) has seen its share price rise by nearly 50% in 2023 alone with a large part being an increase in tourism to the most visited cities in North America, many of which are the most visited cities in the U.S. However, in contrast, Chinese airlines are worse off than they were towards the end of 2022 despite the ending of Covid-19 restrictions as the country's economy is struggling to recover. Of course, it's not just Chinese airlines which are struggling; American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) has seen its share price fall in recent weeks as a slowdown in earnings has led to investors becoming more cautious about the company's share price potential. Many other airlines are still seeing a much better recovery with Lufthansa's Head of Investor Relations stating "Advance bookings for the coming months are very good. We are on the verge of the strongest summer in our company's history in terms of traffic revenue."
One of the reasons why Americans have been able to enjoy holidays more than in previous years is because of the U.S. dollar strengthening against its biggest rivals including the Euro and GBP. This is primarily a result of the Fed hiking interest rates rapidly in a bid to control rising inflation, not to mention Elizabeth Truss's short-lived Treasury policies, which resulted in the U.S. dollar almost reaching parity with GBP. You can learn more about this and the impact it had on Americans traveling abroad if you visit the 25 best countries for Americans to visit.
While visiting European countries may be very alluring, the U.S. is second to none when it comes to one of the most visited countries in the world. In fact, the U.S. is home to some of the most diverse landscapes in the world, from deserts to beaches and mountains, from cities which attract the rich and famous to miles and miles of untouched landscape. Some of the top destinations in North America are well-known for their landmarks and popular tourist places, also marking them among the most recognizable cities in the world, right in line with some of the visited European cities in the world such as Paris, London and Milan. Separately, the most visited cities in North America are also among the most visited cities in the world, with Canadian and Mexican also super in demand countries. While many people may find the U.S. to be more expensive because of the way the U.S. dollar has strengthened, some areas in the U.S. can be very cheap to explore.
Methodology
Since the most reliable data on North American tourists was pre-pandemic data provided by Euromonitor and Mastercard, to determine the most visited cities in North America, we decided to rely on this information for our rankings based on the number of tourists to each city. We then supplemented this by counting additional U.S. cities which received a lot of visitors in 2021 but weren't among the top 100 cities in the world in 2018. Since the pandemic has decreased tourism significantly and was still a major threat in 2021, we have increased the visitors of these cities to three times what was officially reported in 2021, to come up with a like for like comparison among all such cities.
25. Santa Ana, California
Number of tourists annually: 204,000
Santa Ana's food scene, not to mention its vibrant culture, make it a very attractive proposition to tourists.
24. Jacksonville, Florida
Number of tourists annually: 210,000
Tourism is one of the biggest industries in Florida, which is why you'll see several entries from the state among the most visited cities in North America.
23. Austin, Texas
Number of tourists annually: 222,000
Considered to be one of the premier cities for live music and entertainment events, not to mention its massive urban green spaces, there is something for everyone in Austin.
22. Naples, Florida
Number of tourists annually: 252,000
Naples is well-known for the arts and culture scene in the city, while high end shopping malls cater to hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city ever year.
21. San Diego, California
Number of tourists annually: 351,000
California has several entries among the most visited cities in North America, and San Diego is no exception, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to its temperate climate and incredible beaches, not to mention the several historic sites present in the city.
20. Tampa, Florida
Number of tourists annually: 570,000
Tampa is home to hundreds of parks and beaches, which make it a very popular tourist destination.
19. Dallas, Texas
Number of tourists annually: 780,000
Dallas is home to some of the biggest malls in Texas which attract a lot of tourists. Additionally, its diverse art scene and incredible hotels all contribute to it being one of the most visited cities in North America.
18. Atlanta, Georgia
Number of tourists annually: 1,020,000
Atlanta is home to one of the world's largest aquariums which is still among its most popular attractions, while the city is also home to several major historical sites.
17. Houston, Texas
Number of tourists annually: 1,500,000
The most visited city in Texas, Houston is home to the Space Center Houston, which attracts tons of space enthusiasts every year, while the Theater District is among its most visited places.
16. San Jose, California
Number of tourists annually: 1,630,000
Many people are attracted to San Jose's sunny weather, even though its incredibly high prices are making tourism in the city a lot more difficult than it used to be.
15. Boston, Massachusetts
Number of tourists annually: 1,740,000
Boston is one of the cities with the oldest history in the country, which tends to attract many who are interest in its rich history, while Faneuil Hall is one of the city's most visited places.
14. Chicago, Illinois
Number of tourists annually: 2,080,000
While Chicago has a deserved bad reputation for violence and gang violence in particular, it still attracts millions of tourists, mainly because of its culture and influence.
13. Washington D.C.
Number of tourists annually: 2,180,000
Home to the federal government, the capital of the United States is unsurprisingly one of the most visited cities in North America. In fact, after the federal government, tourism is the city's biggest indutsry.
12. Montreal, Quebec
Number of tourists annually: 2,240,000
A large portion of Montreal's tourists come from the neighboring United States, with the Old Port of Montreal and Casino de Montreal considered to be the most visited places in the city.
11. Honolulu, Hawaii
Number of tourists annually: 2,737,300
Honolulu has been one of the premier destination not just for those outside of the U.S. but even within, with Waikīkī being considered its main tourit district.
10. San Francisco, California
Number of tourists annually: 2,901,000
One of the most expensive cities to live in the U.S., San Francisco is also one of the most visited cities in North America, with its tourism industry accounting for nearly 1 in every 7 jobs, with some of the most popular tourist areas in the city being the Golden Gate Bridge and Alamo Square Park.
9. Mexico City, Mexico
Number of tourists annually: 2,980,000
The capital of Mexico, Mexico City is home to ancient Aztec temples and counts itself among the cities with the highest number of museums in the world.
8. Vancouver, British Columbia
Number of tourists annually: 3,212,100
The most populous city in British Columbia, Vancouver is not just one of Canada's most visited cities but among the most visited cities in the world. Vancouver is well-known for being a city surrounded with nature reserves, which is why many people visit the city each year just to be at peace with nature.
7. Toronto, Ontario
Number of tourists annually: 4,510,300
The most visited city in Canada, Toronto is also the country's most populous city and is home to some of the best museums and galleries in the world, not to mention major festivals.
6. Orlando, Florida
Number of tourists annually: 5,553,600
Orlando is home to the Walt Disney World Resort, and the Universal Orlando Resort, both of which attract millions of people each year and allow Orlando to claim its place among the most visited cities in North America.
