U.S. Sees Surge in International Visitors

When people think of Las Vegas (seen here, at night), they typically envision casinos, towering fountains, choreographed performers and the most decadent, over-the-top buildings found anywhere on Earth. All of Las Vegas is a party, and everyone’s invited.

Thanks to cities like Las Vegas, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and other top U.S. destinations, the United States is attracting a record number of international visitors, with 62 million people visiting the country in 2011. That’s an increase of 2.5 million visitors from the previous year, says the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Tourists now have even more incentive to come, since President Obama recently announced a new visa pilot program that will allow expedited visa renewals for some visitors.

In January 2012, 4.5 million international visitors traveled to the United States, a 7 percent increase over January 2011. January 2012 registered the 10th straight month of increases in total U.S. visits.