Report: International tourism to US stronger than expected

NEW YORK – More international visitors came to the U.S. than expected in April 2017, according to a new report released Tuesday in Washington.

The U.S. Travel Association’s Travel Trends Index shows that international travel to the U.S. grew by about 4 per cent in April, compared with data for April 2016.

The increase contradicted fears that tourism from abroad would slow in reaction to President Donald Trump’s proposed travel bans, which have been blocked by court challenges.

The Trump administration’s first ban on travel from a handful of mostly Muslim countries was issued Jan. 27. The Travel Association said any fallout from the travel bans would have begun to show up in April travel data.