Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in United States
United States: Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments was 4.40 million guests in 2021. ▲ Rising
Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in United States, 1997–2021
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in guests.
Analysis
United States recorded 4.40 million guests for foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.5% on the previous year and down 80.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in United States peaked at 30.70 million guests in 2019 and was at its lowest, 4.40 million guests, in 2021.
United States ranks 33rd of 139 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in United States, year by year
| Year | guests | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 20.15 million guests | — |
| 1998 | 19.81 million guests | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 20.01 million guests | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 20.96 million guests | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 16.79 million guests | -19.9% |
| 2002 | 14.91 million guests | -11.2% |
| 2003 | 13.90 million guests | -6.8% |
| 2004 | 16.03 million guests | +15.4% |
| 2005 | 16.98 million guests | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 16.94 million guests | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 18.75 million guests | +10.7% |
| 2008 | 20.05 million guests | +6.9% |
| 2009 | 18.51 million guests | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 20.93 million guests | +13.1% |
| 2011 | 22.63 million guests | +8.1% |
| 2012 | 23.67 million guests | +4.6% |
| 2013 | 26.41 million guests | +11.6% |
| 2014 | 27.21 million guests | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 29.26 million guests | +7.5% |
| 2016 | 29.59 million guests | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 29.80 million guests | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 30.39 million guests | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 30.70 million guests | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 5.34 million guests | -82.6% |
| 2021 | 4.40 million guests | -17.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 4.40 million guests is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.55 million guests, 1.7× the median. (66 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -82.6% | 30.70 million guests | 5.34 million guests |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.99 million guests | 19.81 million guests | 20.15 million guests | 3 |
| 2000s | 17.38 million guests | 13.90 million guests | 20.96 million guests | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.06 million guests | 20.93 million guests | 30.70 million guests | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.87 million guests | 4.40 million guests | 5.34 million guests | 2 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in United States?
- Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in United States was 4.40 million guests in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 30.70 million guests in 2019.
- What is the lowest foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.40 million guests in 2021.
- How does United States rank for foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments?
- United States ranks 33rd out of 139 countries with data for 2021.
- Is foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 80.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of international visitors who check in to hotels and similar accommodation establishments.