International tourism has had a significant impact on the United States economy in recent years, and 2022 was no exception. Data released by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) show that in December 2022 alone, international visitors spent nearly $16.5 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States. This represents an increase of nearly 49 percent compared to December 2021, and it is the single highest month for U.S. tourism-related exports since February 2020—the onset of the global pandemic.
In contrast, Americans spent more than $15.5 billion traveling abroad, resulting in a balance of trade surplus of $932 million for the month. Moreover, the 12-month data for 2022 suggests that international visitors spent nearly $162.6 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services, almost doubling (up 96 percent) the amount spent in 2021. In 2022, international visitors injected more than $445 million a day into the U.S. economy on average.
The composition of monthly spending on travel exports reveals that purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $9.1 billion in December 2022, an increase of 68 percent compared to the previous year. For a pre-pandemic perspective, travel receipts totaled $11.8 billion in December 2019. 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 55 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in December 2022.
Passenger fare receipts also increased, with fares received by U.S. carriers from international visitors totaling $3.2 billion in December 2022, an increase of 62 percent when compared to the previous year. In December 2019, the United States exported nearly $3.4 billion in passenger air transportation services. These receipts are expenditures by foreign residents on international flights of U.S. air carriers. Passenger fare receipts accounted for 20 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in December 2022.
Lastly, expenditures for educational and health-related tourism, along with all expenditures by border, seasonal, and other short-term workers in the United States, totaled $4.2 billion in December 2022, an increase of 14 percent compared to the previous year. For a pre-pandemic perspective, this spending totaled more than $4.8 billion in December 2019. Medical tourism, education, and short-term worker expenditures accounted for 25 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in December 2022.
Overall, these figures demonstrate the significant impact that international tourism has on the United States economy. As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, it is likely that these numbers will continue to grow in the coming years. International tourism not only generates revenue and creates jobs, but it also promotes cultural exchange and understanding. The growth of international tourism in the United States is a win-win situation for both the country and its visitors.
Written by: Don Power