Good news for inbound travel to the United States: According to a projection by the research and economics team at the U.S. Travel Association, the country is on pace to exceed the goal of 100 million annual international visitors set by the National Travel and Tourism Strategy (NTTS) for 2021.

When the Obama administration laid out the NTTS on May 10, 2012, a rate of 4.8 percent annual growth was needed to reach its 2021 goal. The country is ahead of that pace, achieving an average of 5.5 percent annual growth in the two years since (growth from 2011-2013).

In raw numbers, 4.8 percent growth would have meant 6.2 million new visitors; the country has bested that mark by 876,000 visitors, adding 7.1 million new inbound international travelers in the last two years. Total international visitors now stand at just under 70 million annually.

Read More