Brainz

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Julien Haler

Travel is still one of the biggest industries in the world today, despite an economic slump that has plagued the world for several years. Some states in the US have more visitors, and many more money than others. In fact, some states rely on tourism to fuel much of their economic growth. Here are five states in the US that depend on tourism economically.

1. California

California is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. In fact, it gets more than $87 billion per year from tourism. In California, you can see all kinds of tourist attractions, depending on what you enjoy. For example, the world-famous Golden gate Bridge is a modern marvel that visitors love to check out. You can surf and enjoy the beautiful beaches along the coast. You can go skiing in the mountains or get away in your own lakefront cabin in the wilderness. They have many different professional sports teams and attractions like Disneyland as well. There really is a lot to draw people in from outside California.

2. Florida

The next most popular state when it comes to tourism. Florida is a destination and has a lot going for it. Orlando is the most popular tourist hub with attractions like Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World. In addition to Orlando, there are many different places for travelers to go they are interested in checking out the beach. Places like Miami and the Florida Keys are very popular destinations for tourists to visit. Florida rakes in more than $70 billion a year from tourism.

3. New York

New York is another very popular state to visit for tourists. Most of the tourism dollars go directly to New York City with popular attractions like the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center Plaza, Broadway, Wall Street, the Empire State Building, and Central Park. In addition to checking out New York City, many tourists also like to check out Niagara Falls in the northern part of the state. New York makes about $54 billion per year from tourism-related endeavors. Almost 5 percent of the jobs in New York City come from tourism.

4. Nevada

Another very popular tourist destination in the United States is Nevada. People from all over the world come to Las Vegas to check out all that it has to offer. Besides Las Vegas, you can also check out Reno and Lake Tahoe. Las Vegas is the main draw with many different casinos, shows, attractions, clubs, and world-class restaurants. The Strip is one of the most recognizable places in the world today, and almost everyone goes there at some point.

5. Texas

Texas is another state that depends on tourism for much of the money that it brings in. It thanks more than $51 billion per year from tourism. In Texas, you can see many different things that you won't find anywhere else. For example, the historically significant Alamo is one of the leading attractions in the state. Many people also come to check out the culture and nightlife that Austin has to offer. You can check out one of their many sports teams like the Dallas Cowboys or the Dallas Mavericks. One of the interesting things about taxes is that half of the tourism income is generated from the people in the state. The state is so big, that people from other parts of the state travel across it to check out the many tourist attractions.

All of these states largely depend on the money that they generate from tourist attractions. While many other states also do a lot of business and tourism, these are the most popular states in the Union.

Angela Booker is a travel agent and guest author at Online Christian Colleges, a site with guides and rankings of Christian colleges by state: http://www.onlinechristiancolleges.com/in/