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U.S. travelers set record for heading overseas in 2014
Americans traveled abroad in record numbers last year, marking the first double-digit increase in international travel in a decade. A report from the Department of Commerce said outbound travel from the U.S. grew 10 percent in 2014 compared with the previous year to a record 68.3 million travelers.
The previous record of outbound travelers was 64 million in 2007, shortly before the national recession dealt a serious blow to the nation’s travel industry, according to the National Travel & Tourism Office of the Commerce Department.
"We haven’t seen double-digit growth since 2004," said Ron Erdmann, a spokesman for the tourism office.
Mexico, Canada and Europe were the most popular destinations in 2014. About 34 percent of U.S. travelers going abroad visited Mexico, with 19 percent going to Canada and 18 percent visiting Europe, according to Commerce Department data. Other top destinations were the Caribbean, Asia and Central America.
