This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After a good first half of the year, domestic travel in the United States is starting to slow.
The U.S. Travel Association's Travel Trends Index shows that July domestic leisure travel grew at its slowest rate since December of 2012.
Officials say that the domestic sector will grow through 2016, but will do so at a much more anemic pace as consumer confidence boosted by lower fuel prices begins to wane.
A variety of factors that included the continued effects of Britain's decision to leave the European Union and the continued strength of the dollar likely will drag international inbound growth to a standstill by the end of 2016.
"What we're seeing here is a reversal from the post-recession economic expansion, when international inbound travel ignited the recovery," said U.S. Travel Association Senior Vice President for Research David Huether. "International inbound travel's return to sluggish growth patterns in July was to be expected, given the dollar's continued dominance and Europe's Brexit hangover. Even as it weakens slightly, domestic leisure travel will continue as the main source of strength for the travel industry."
Not everything is gloom and doom, though.
The Current Travel Index has registered above the 50 mark for 79 straight months and registered in 51.0 in July. Numbers above 50 indicate growth, while numbers below that indicate contraction.