Who visits the U.S, and why

Which country sent the most visitors to the U.S. in 2006? Here's a hint: it's one of our closest neighbors, and it's really no surprise. If you guessed Canada, you're correct -- Canada sent 15,992,242. And if you guessed Mexico, you're almost correct -- our neighbors to the south came in second with 13,317,000 visitors. Next on down is the United Kingdom followed by Japan, Germany, France, and the Republic of Korea.

So, what are all these tourists checking out? It's not all Las Vegas and Disneyland: Spanish tourists are "interested in rugged western outdoor tourism, and [there's a] growing interest in Native American culture and traditions." Japanese want to find scenes from their favorite movies. And with their strengthening dollar, many Canadians are coming to the U.S. to shop.

Forbes has a slideshow of the top U.S.-visiting countries, and you can read the full report on the U.S.'s foreign tourists on Forbes' website.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Business, Asia, Europe, Japan, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, United States