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California has resurfaced as one of the nation's top international destinations, thanks to a huge bump in marketing funds, but San Diego isn't exactly sharing in the bounty.
In 2007, foreign travel to the state surpassed the 5 million mark for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and its toll on the airline industry.
Overseas visits to the state rose 12.4 percent to reach 5.2 million last year from 4.6 million in 2006, according to the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism.
San Diego, however, suffered a 1 percent decline comparing 645,000 international visitors in 2007 to 650,000 the year before, said Kerri Kapich, vice president of marketing for the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Nonetheless, San Diego was No. 10 in a ranking of U.S. cities based on the total number of foreign visitors, she said citing federal statistics.
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