City trips in the U.S. - statistics & facts

Tourism is a huge contributor to the economy in the United States. In 2021, the total contribution of travel and tourism to gross domestic product (GDP) was 1.27 trillion U.S. dollars. The U.S. is home to many different climates and types of terrain, meaning that there a variety of different types of tourist destinations to choose from. These include, but are not limited to, beaches, mountain ranges, deserts, and cities. Cities in particular account for a significant portion of tourist trips. One of the most popular cities to visit in the U.S. is New York, in 2021 the Big Apple was the seventh leading city destination worldwide, by tourism attractiveness. The world-famous city also ranked as the third leading city visited by digital nomads worldwide as of March 2022.

What are the cheapest cities for travelers in the U.S.?

As of November 2021, the cheapest city to visit in the U.S. was Williamsburg, Virginia with an average daily price of 89.93 U.S. dollars per person. Meanwhile, the second cheapest city to visit in the U.S. was Rapid City, South Dakota with an average of 92.81 U.S. dollars a day. Meanwhile. Omaha, Nebraska was the cheapest city in the U.S. for a staycation. The term 'staycation' is typically used to refer to a holiday spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions. For travelers who prefer to travel on foot, the most affordable city for backpackers in the U.S. was New Orleans as of June 2022. Throughout the city, the average cost of a hostel, three budget meals, two public transportation rides, one paid cultural attraction, and three cheap beers was 94.7 dollars.

What are the most expensive cities for business travelers in the U.S.?

New York was not only one of the most popular city destinations in the U.S., it was also the most expensive U.S. city for business travelers in 2021. During the fourth quarter of that year, the daily cost of accommodation, food, and car rental totaled nearly 541 U.S. dollars. Santa Barbara, California ranked second as business tourists spent on average around 518 U.S. dollars each day. New York also recorded the highest hotel prices for business travelers in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2021. On average, a business visitor in the city could spent around 361 U.S. dollars on hotel accommodation per day. In the last quarter of 2021, three of the ten most expensive cities in the U.S. for business travel when it comes to food costs were located in California. San Francisco topped the list with an average daily food cost amounting to 135.52 U.S. dollars.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Aug 30, 2023

Key insights

Leading U.S. city destination by tourism attractiveness worldwide
New York
Cheapest city to visit in the U.S.
Williamsburg, VA
Most affordable city for backpacking in the U.S.
Las Vegas
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Leading city destinations in the United States in 2019, by number of international arrivals (in millions)

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