US government forecasts tourism growth despite recent slump

The U.S. Department of Commerce is forecasting an 18.5 percent growth in inbound international tourism to the U.S. through 2022 despite a slump in international visitation in the last two years.

The department released a report Friday. A chart from the department's National Travel and Tourism Office forecasts growth every year through 2022, with projections up from last year's 75.1 million international inbound visitors to 78 million this year, 80.9 million in 2019, 83.4 million in 2020, 86.2 million in 2021 and 89 million in 2022.

The chart shows inbound international visitation to the U.S. grew steadily every year from 2009 to 2015, when arrivals numbered 77.5 million. But there was a drop in 2016 to 75.9 million, followed by the drop in 2017 to 75.1 million.