International visitors spend $19.1 billion in US in September 2014

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently announced that international visitors spent $19.1 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States in September, an increase of nearly 7 percent when compared to September 2013.

“Travel and tourism continues to be a bright star in our economy. Our international guests spent more than $600 million a day in September,” Selig said. “That equals increased revenue for industry-related businesses and jobs for the American people.”

• Travel Receipts: Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $12.0 billion during September, an increase of nearly 6 percent when compared to last year. These goods and services include food, lodging, recreation, gifts, entertainment, local transportation in the United States, and other items incidental to foreign travel. Travel receipts accounted for 63 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports for September.

• Passenger Fare Receipts: Fares received by U.S. carriers from international visitors totaled $3.8 billion for the month, an increase of nearly 13 percent when compared to September 2013.

Passenger fare receipts accounted for 20 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports for September.

• Medical/Education/Short-Term Worker(1): Expenditures for educational and health-related tourism, along with all expenditures by border, seasonal, and other short-term workers, totaled nearly $3.4 billion in September, an increase of nearly 6 percent when compared to the same period last year. Medical tourism, education, and short-term worker receipts accounted for nearly 18 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports during September.

International visitors have spent $169.4 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date (January through September), an increase of 6 percent when compared to the same period last year; conversely, Americans have spent an estimated $108.7 billion aboard, resulting in a balance of trade surplus nearly $61 billion year to date.