By Jon Schaffer
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- After several years of staying away, travelers from around the world are finding the United States high on their list of places to visit, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

During the first five months of 2004, more than 14.5 million international visitors traveled to the United States, the department reported July 29. This is a jump of 17 percent from January-May 2003.

The number of visitors from countries other than Mexico and Canada increased more than 20 percent to about 7.7 million during the first five months of 2004. If the trend continues, such visits will climb to nearly 19 million this year. This would compare with just over 18 million in 2003, 19.1 million in 2002 and 21.8 million in 2001.

Earlier this year, the Commerce Department projected that the number of international travelers visiting the United States would return to nearly peak levels by 2007. Prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, international visits (excluding those from Mexico and Canada) averaged more than 24 million annually in 1996-2000.

The department reported that, while travelers came in increasing numbers from all parts of the world, the largest regional percentage gains during the year came from visitors from Asia, up nearly 30 percent, and from Europe, up 18.5 percent. Visitors were up by more than 12 percent from the Middle East, by 10.5 percent from Eastern Europe, by nearly 11 percent from South America, and by 8 percent from Africa.

Of the 14.5 million visitors to the United States so far this year, nearly 5.5 million were from Canada, 1.5 million from Japan and 1.4 million from Mexico. Notable increases in January-May 2004 from the same period in 2003 were seen in numbers of visitors from China, 33 percent; Australia, 32 percent; Argentina, 26 percent; Germany, 22 percent; and Brazil, 20 percent. Visits from Canada are up 15 percent and from Mexico, 9 percent, from the first five months of 2003.

In May, Secretary of State Colin Powell noted the rise in visa applications but said that the rate of increase in student visas had slowed. "Clearly, we have to do a better job of ... attracting the world's rising generation to come study in America, come learn our values, come learn what kind of a people we are and take all of that back with you, as well as whatever education you picked up."