OTTI: More Americans visiting overseas

Last year saw an increasing amount of Americans travelling abroad for their holidays, according to statistics from the Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI).

In comparison to 2004, last year saw a rise of three per cent in Americans travelling overseas.

Last year saw 63.5 million Americans venturing beyond their own borders, with the most popular travel destination being Mexico.

However it was in the UK that American tourists spent the most money, followed by Mexico, Canada, Germany and France.

Of the cities of origin for American tourists, five topped the bill: San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Washington and Los Angeles.

Americans also planned for trips longer in advance in 2005, rising from 86 to 92 days.

The data also said that Americans' top leisure pursuits while on holiday were dining in restaurants, shopping, visiting historical places, visiting small towns and villages, and sightseeing in cities.

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