Total U.S. travel volume grew 1.6 percent year over year in September, according to the U.S. Travel Association's Travel Trends Index. Domestic leisure travel rose 1.8 percent, while domestic business travel saw no growth. International inbound travel to the U.S. grew 4.4 percent.
U.S. travel is projected to grow 1.8 percent year over year from October 2018 to March 2019. Domestic business travel is forecasted to grow 2 percent. "A robust domestic economy, led by surging business confidence and strong business investment, is expected to support business travel in the months ahead," said USTA SVP of research David Huether. Domestic U.S. business travel's rate of growth could surpass domestic U.S. leisure travel growth, projected to hit 1.5 percent to 2 percent, supported by slowly firming wages and continued consumer confidence and spending. International inbound travel to the U.S. is expected to remain flat from October 2018 to March 2019.
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