See where Ohio cities rank among US cities with the most international travelers in 2023

Mariyam Muhammad, Akron Beacon Journal
·4 min read

What cities in the U.S. do international travelers enjoy the most?

With the sunny skies and hot temperatures, many international tourists are traveling the world while the summer lasts. Luxury Link analyzed popular US cities and ranked the top 15 most visited areas in 2023 by international visitors.

31 million international travelers visited the US in 2023 after visitor numbers dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study by the Department of Commerce’s Survey of International Air Travelers.

What cities made the list and why are they so popular? Let’s take a look.

Where did Ohio cities rank?

Though Ohio's metro cities did not make it to the top 15, but they still made the list as popular destinations for international tourism.

Cleveland

  • Overall rank: No. 48

  • International tourists (2023): 123,000

The Cleveland metro area was Ohio's top draw for international tourists in 2023. Its 123,000 visitors were a 78.3% jump from the previous year and accounted for 0.4% of all overseas tourists who visited the U.S.

Columbus

  • Overall rank: No. 68

  • International tourists (2023): 76,000

The capital city had 35 overseas visitors for every 1,000 residents and saw a 43.4% rise in international tourists from the previous year.

Cincinnati

  • Overall rank: No. 73

  • International tourists (2023): 66,000

The Queen City and its tri-state metro area experienced an 18.5% decrease in international tourists in 2023. If it had kept the same number of tourists from 2022, it would have had more than 78,000 visits and finished above Columbus in the rankings.

What draws international tourists to these cities?

Travelers typically visit places for purposes such as tourism and vacation, visiting friends and relatives, business, education, shopping and so forth. Among the 31 million travelers, 67% cite vacationing as their primary reason for visiting, with visiting friends and relatives following as the second reason with 37%.

In addition, travelers also look forward to leisure activities in these cities, including shopping, sightseeing, national parks, museums, visiting historical locations, theme parks, and fine dining. Eighty-two percent of vacationers enjoy shopping as their leisure activity, with sightseeing following at 72%.

The 15 U.S. cities visited most by international travelers

Based on the total number of overseas visitors, these were the top 15 cities in the United States for overseas visitors in 2023.

1. New York City, New York

  • Overseas visitors: 8,890,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 745

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 28.3%

2. Miami, Florida

  • Overseas visitors: 4,365,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 1,632

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 13.9%

3. Los Angeles, California

  • Overseas visitors: 3,603,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 371

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 11.5%

4. Orlando, Florida

  • Overseas visitors: 3,518,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 1,273

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 11.2%

5. San Francisco, California

  • Overseas visitors: 2,281,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 1,483

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 7.3%

6. Las Vegas, Nevada

  • Overseas visitors: 2,077,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 894

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 6.6%

7. Washington D.C.

  • Overseas visitors: 1,611,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 253

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 5.1%

8. Chicago, Illinois

  • Overseas visitors: 1,413,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 199

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 4.5%

9. Honolulu, Hawaii

  • Overseas visitors: 1,322,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 1,328

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 4.2%

10. Boston, Massachusetts

  • Overseas visitors: 1,152,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 569

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 3.7%

11. Houston, Texas

Overseas visitors: 887,000

Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 121

Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 2.8%

12. Atlanta, Georgia

  • Overseas visitors: 765,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 123

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 2.4%

13. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

  • Overseas visitors: 749,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 385

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 2.4%

14. San Diego, California

  • Overseas visitors: 655,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 200

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 2.1%

15. Dallas, Texas

  • Overseas visitors: 655,000

  • Overseas visitors per 1,000 residents: 122

  • Percentage of total U.S. overseas visitors: 2.1%

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: See where Ohio cities rank for popularity among international tourists