Fall in number of international visitors to the US

WASHINGTON: The number of international visitors to the US through June fell sharply from last year, according to government data released on Wednesday.

According to the monthly report from the US Commerce Department's National Travel and Tourism Office, total foreign visitors fell 4 per cent compared with the first six months of last year, with travellers from Mexico down more than 9 per cent and from Britain down 6 per cent. But visits from Canada were up nearly 5 per cent.

President Donald Trump had earlier this year ordered bans on visitors from Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and Africa. Visits from the Middle East plunged 30 per cent in the first half of the year, while those from Africa dropped 27 per cent. In contrast, arrivals from South Korea jumped 18 percent, while Ireland saw a 4.7 per cent increase, according to the monthly data. - AFP