Spending Surges By $1.5 Billion in March by International Visitors to the United States
May 16, 2012International visitors spent an estimated $13.7 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States during the month of March - an increase of more than $1.5 billion, or 13 percent, from March 2011.
Year-to-date, U.S. travel and tourism exports have grown nearly 13 percent in 2012, and the industry has generated a $10.6 billion trade surplus during the first quarter of 2012. These numbers come on the heels of National Travel and Tourism Week and the Administration’s announcement of the National Travel and Tourism Strategy, a blueprint for the Federal government to welcome 100 million international visitors by the end of 2021.
The data announced today include purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the U.S., which totaled a record-breaking $10.4 billion in March, an increase of nearly 12 percent from 2011. These goods and services include food, lodging, recreation, gifts, entertainment, local transportation, and other items incidental to foreign travel. Fares received by U.S. carriers and U.S. vessel operators from international visitors increased nearly 16 percent to a historic high of $3.3 billion in March. This represents an increase of nearly $450 million when compared to March 2011, and resulted in a $350 million trade surplus for passenger fares.
Source: Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. For more information please visit www.trade.gov.
Posted by AudioConexus. Posted In : Tourism Statistics
