Canadian Visa cardholders contributed $9.2 billion to the U.S. tourism economy, according to a Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) 2011 Tourism Outlook: USA report. That’s an 18% increase from 2009, when Canadians spent $7.8 billion in the U.S.
According to the report, which is based on Visa payment card transactions, Canada was the top spender for the third year in a row, with the U.K. a distant second in 2010 ($2.5 billion) and Mexico ($2 billion).
“Canadian tourists continue to have a positive impact on the U.S. tourism economy,” said William Sheedy, group president, the Americas, Visa Inc..
“The strong willingness and desire of Canadians to travel across the southern border reinforces the importance of the North American tourism industry to the region’s continued economic growth.”
According to the spending data, the top destinations for Canadians were New York, Nevada, California, Florida and Texas.
A spokesman for the company said that “as Canadians continue to benefit from the strong dollar, they will continue to be the top international spenders in the U.S. for 2011.