The numbers don't reflect this though. Just looking at the first quarter of each year from 2006 to 2012 (inclusive), there have been more inbound arrivals in 2012 than there have in any previous years.
2012: 14,195,321 [1]
2011: 12,839,980 [2]
2010: 12,635,880 [3]
2009: 9,762,932 [4]
2008: 11,388,763 [5]
2007: 9,871,406 [6]
2006: 9,045,854 [7]
Quite simply, people aren't voting with their feet. In fact, any declines in people flying into the US seem to trend with the general economic climate.
The reason I picked the first quarter is because we already have the first quarter's data for 2012 and I couldn't be bothered to deal with the second quarter because this is only a quick glance at the data. :-)
I'm afraid I don't have time to. Perhaps this is an analysis you'd like to do though.
I will admit I haven't separated the entries by land/air/sea, as I didn't have that data readily available. The general trend still holds even excluding Canadians and Mexicans who may be more disposed to cross a land border. On the surface it just doesn't appear as though people are so turned off by the TSA that they're refusing to fly to the US.
It's quite amazing what people will tolerate in order to travel to and from the US. America's borders are sadly the most unfriendly I've encountered to date.
2012: 14,195,321 [1]
2011: 12,839,980 [2]
2010: 12,635,880 [3]
2009: 9,762,932 [4]
2008: 11,388,763 [5]
2007: 9,871,406 [6]
2006: 9,045,854 [7]
Quite simply, people aren't voting with their feet. In fact, any declines in people flying into the US seem to trend with the general economic climate.
The reason I picked the first quarter is because we already have the first quarter's data for 2012 and I couldn't be bothered to deal with the second quarter because this is only a quick glance at the data. :-)
[1] http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2012-I-001/table1.html
[2] http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2011-I-001/table1.html
[3] http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2010-I-001/table1.html
[4] http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2009-I-001/table1.html
[5] http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2008-I-001/table1.html
[6] http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2007-I-001/table1.html
[7] http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2006-I-001/table1.html