International visitors brought $21 billion to U.S. economy
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This is a slight decrease (-0.1%) when compared to May 2015. This slight downturn is mostly attributable to a decline in passenger fares paid to U.S. carriers by international visitors, which decreased nearly 9 percent in May.
International visitors have spent $104.6 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date (January through May), an increase of more than 3 percent when compared to the same period last year; conversely, Americans have spent an estimated $65.7 billion abroad, yielding a balance of trade surplus of $38.9 billion year to date.
Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $13.0 billion during May, a decrease of nearly 2 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 in May.
Fares received by U.S. carriers from international visitors totaled $3.2 billion for the month, a decrease of 9 percent when compared to May 2015. Passenger fare receipts accounted for15 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in May.
Expenditures for educational and health-related tourism, along with all expenditures by border, seasonal, and other short-term workers, totaled more than $4.4 billion in May, an increase of more than 13 percent when compared to the same period last year.
Medical tourism, education, and short-term worker receipts accounted for 21 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in May. ■