International visitors spent $12.7 billion in US in April

According to the latest tourism-related data released by the US National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), in April 2022:

• International visitors spent $12.7 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States, an increase of 136 percent compared to April 2021.
• Americans spent $10.9 billion traveling abroad, yielding a balance of trade surplus of $1.8 billion for the month—the sixth consecutive month during which the United States enjoyed a balance of trade surplus for travel and tourism.
• For the first time since February 2020, ‘Travel Receipts’ accounted for more than half (54%) of total travel exports.
• April marked the highwater point in terms of monthly international visitor spending in the United States since the announcement of COVID-19 in February 2020.

Composition of Monthly Spending (Travel Exports)

• Travel Receipts 
  • Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $6.8 billion in April 2022 (compared to $1.5 billion in April 2021), an increase of 352 percent when compared to the previous year.
  • For a pre-pandemic perspective, travel receipts totaled $11.7 billion in April 2019. These goods and services include food, lodging, recreation, gifts, entertainment, local transportation in the United States, and other items incidental to international travel.
  • Travel receipts accounted for 54 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in April 2022.
• Passenger Fare Receipts
  • Fares received by U.S. carriers from international visitors totaled $2.0 billion in April 2022 (compared to $732 million in April 2021), an increase of 174 percent when compared to the previous year. 
  • For a pre-pandemic perspective, the United States exported $3.4 billion in passenger air transportation services in April 2019. These receipts are expenditures by foreign residents on international flights of U.S. air carriers.
  • Passenger fare receipts accounted for 16 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in April 2022.
• Medical/Education/Short-Term Worker Spending
  • Expenditures for educational and health-related tourism, along with all expenditures by border, seasonal, and other short-term workers in the United States totaled $3.9 billion in April 2022 (compared to $3.2 billion in April 2021), an increase of 24 percent when compared to the previous year.
  • For a pre-pandemic perspective, this spending totaled $5.0 billion in April 2019.
  • Medical tourism, education, and short-term worker expenditures accounted for 31 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in April 2022.