Brand USA Travel Week Latin America 2027
The Markets
Latin America continues to rank among the fastest-growing regions for outbound travel to the United States, with Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru & Panama emerging as strong, high-potential markets shaped by evolving traveler profiles and expanding air connectivity.
Regional Travel Trends
What is driving the region
Travel recovery & growth
Latin America is outperforming the broader U.S. inbound market in 2026. While total overseas visitation to the U.S. fell 4% year-over-year between January and June 2026, Latin America grew 5% over the same period, led by Colombia at +17%. Mexico overtook Canada in 2025 to become the largest single source market for U.S. inbound travel, delivering 4.68 million visitors in Q1 2026 (+13.4% YoY), a 30% share of all international arrivals, more than double any other market.
Connecting flights
Roughly 60% of South American travelers use connecting flights to reach their final U.S. destination, presenting a key opportunity to promote secondary cities and regional gateways beyond main hubs like Miami, New York, and Orlando.
Multigenerational travel
Traveling with multiple generations, grandparents, parents, and children together, is one of the fastest-growing trip types among Latin American travelers heading to the U.S. This trend is especially strong in Brazil and Colombia, where extended-family travel planning is closely tied to continued reliance on travel advisors.
Luxury & wellness travel
Wellness escapes and high-touch luxury experiences are among the fastest-growing trip types across Latin American markets. The wellness travel economy reached a record $6.8 trillion in 2025 and is projected to grow to $9.8 trillion by 2029. Travelers are moving toward personalized, authentic, and immersive experiences.
Air connectivity
South America delivers 9.8 million nonstop airline seats annually to the U.S. and accounts for 16% of total overseas visitors, the third-largest global region for U.S. inbound travel. Panama City, this edition's host city, offers nonstop service to 20 airports in 19 U.S. cities.
Sports tourism
Sports are becoming a significant driver of Latin American travel to the U.S. The 2026 FIFA World Cup demonstrated this at scale, with fans from Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil traveling in strong numbers to attend matches. International visitors during the tournament spent over $400 per day on average across a 12-day stay, more than 1.6x the typical international visitor spend in the U.S.
Multichannel booking behavior
Travelers use a hybrid booking model combining online platforms, social media, and travel advisors. Latin America posted the strongest year-over-year growth in travel search volume of any global region in 2025 (+25%). Despite rapid digital growth, traditional travel agencies remain especially important in Brazil and Colombia for luxury and multigenerational travel planning.
Sources: Brand USA (mid-year 2026 market update); NTTO (National Travel and Tourism Office, 2026 forecast). · Booking.com 2026 Travel Predictions; "Latin America 2026: The Outbound Travel Powerhouse Reshaping Global Tourism". · Global Wellness Institute; Booking.com 2026 Travel Predictions. · Brand USA, Travel Week South America 2026 press release. · eMarketer/YouGov Sport (March 2026); Tourism Economics / Oxford Economics, FIFA World Cup 26 Host Cities Research Briefing (November 2025). · Expedia Group, Travel Trends Q3 2025 and 2026 Traveler Insights reports.
Market Landscapes
Market by market
Mexico
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Mexico is the #1 source market for U.S. inbound travel worldwide, a position held since overtaking Canada in 2025.
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4.68 million visitors in Q1 2026 alone (+13.4% YoY), capturing a 30% share of all international arrivals, more than double any other market.
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NTTO forecasts Mexico will account for nearly half of all growth in U.S. international visitation in 2026.
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Leads all markets in nonstop seat capacity between Mexican and U.S. airports.
Brazil
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#2 source market in Latin America and #1 in South America for U.S. inbound travel.
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Ranked #1 overseas market for U.S.-bound tourism in January 2026, ahead of the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan.
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NTTO projects Brazilian visitation will grow 5.8% for the full year 2026, boosted by the FIFA World Cup.
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Scheduled nonstop seat capacity from Brazil: 2.7 million seats (+9% YoY).
Colombia
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#3 source market from Latin America and the fastest-growing in the region in 2026 (+17% YoY, January–June 2026).
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Approximately 1.68 million Colombians visited the United States in 2025.
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3.5 million scheduled nonstop seats per year (+5% YoY) with nine additional U.S. destinations now served with nonstop flights.
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Colombia's proximity to the U.S. is a key advantage: Fort Lauderdale to Bogotá is just 3 hours 45 minutes nonstop.
Argentina
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#4 source market from Latin America; full-year 2025 arrivals reached 789,942 (+14.9% YoY).
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Argentine visitors spend an average of $3,321 per trip.
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Argentina's true market size may be understated: a significant share of Argentine travelers enter the U.S. on Italian or Spanish passports and are counted under those countries in official NTTO data.
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Top interests: shopping and visiting state and national parks, typically across multiple U.S. destinations.
Chile
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The only Visa Waiver Program country in Latin America as of mid-2026, providing frictionless entry to the U.S.
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Young travelers are driving growth in luxury and ultra-luxury travel, with airlines expanding premium capacity to meet demand.
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Approximately 12–13 daily flights connecting Chile and the U.S. via multiple carriers.
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Key opportunities: personalized tourism and experiential/authentic travel.
Peru
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#8 source market among Latin American countries to the U.S., with 372,986 visitors in 2025.
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Lima provides both direct U.S. service and broad one-stop connectivity. United Airlines increased its Lima–Newark route to 7 weekly frequencies from March 2026.
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Jorge Chávez International Airport handled 25.5 million passengers in 2025 (+4.1% YoY), channeling 56% of all of Peru's international arrivals.
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1.2 million scheduled nonstop seats from Peru annually.
Panama (Host Destination)
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Panama is this edition's host destination and the region's premier air connectivity hub.
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The United States is Panama's #1 source market for inbound tourism, reflecting deep bilateral ties reinforced by a dollarized economy.
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Panamanians recorded 1.42 trips per person per year in 2025, the highest outbound travel propensity rate in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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Tocumen International Airport (PTY) handled 20.98 million passengers in 2025 (+9% YoY), with nonstop service to 20 airports in 19 U.S. cities.
Sources: Mexico: NTTO; Travel And Tour World (June 2026); Brand USA Sales Mission 2026. · Brazil: NTTO (January 2026 International Travel Volume; Spring 2026 International Visitor Forecast). · Argentina: NTTO; Brand USA, Travel Week South America 2026 press release; ABC Mundial (April 2026). · Chile: U.S. Congress correspondence; Expat.cl (June 2026); U.S. Embassy in Chile. · Peru: NTTO; Brand USA, Travel Week South America 2026 press release; Peru21 / DGAC (March 2026). · Panama: Panama Tourism Authority (ATP); IATA (82nd AGM, June 2026); Presidencia de la República de Panama / Tocumen International Airport.