WASHINGTON – Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Ken Hyatt announced that international visitors to the United States spent an estimated $15.3 billion on travel and tourism-related activities in November 2013. International visitors have injected nearly $165 billion into the U.S. economy since January 2013, an increase of approximately 9 percent. Additionally, the United States travel and tourism trade surplus reached a record-breaking $52 billion in 2013.
“The United States continues to enjoy a trade surplus in the services industry and tourism exports account for 25 percent of that surplus, and nearly 45 percent of the growth of total services exports,” said Hyatt. “Travel and tourism is a vital contributor to our economy and supports millions of American jobs. ITA and the Department of Commerce will continue to support policies that help increase travel to the United States.”
Travel and tourism exports consist of Travel Receipts and Passenger Fare Receipts.
- Travel Receipts: Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $11.8 billion during November, an increase of nearly 8 percent when compared to November 2012. These goods and services include food, lodging, recreation, gifts, entertainment, local transportation in the United States, and other items incidental to foreign travel.
- Passenger Fare Receipts: Fares received by U.S. carriers (and U.S. vessel operators) from international visitors totaled $3.4 billion for the month, an increase of 3 percent when compared to November 2012.
The growth of total U.S. travel and tourism exports continues to outpace the growth of total U.S. services exports; international visitor spending increased almost 9 percent, while total U.S. services exports increased by 5 percent during the same period. Moreover, the year-to-date increase in total travel and tourism exports accounts for nearly 45 percent of the growth of total services exports.
As a result of exports exceeding imports, the United States enjoyed a surplus of nearly $4.8 billion for November, and a record-breaking $52.1 billion surplus year to date
