TI News: An information service from Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI)

March 30, 2010

International Visitors Spending in the United States: January 2010

Travel and Tourism-Related Exports Decline for Fifteenth Straight Month

The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced that international visitors spent an estimated $10.3 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States during the month of January—nearly $310 million less (3 percent) than was spent in January 2009.

• Travel Receipts: Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $8.1 billion during January, a decrease of nearly 1 percent in comparison with 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.
• Passenger Fare Receipts: Fares received by U.S. carriers (and U.S. vessel operators) from international visitors declined more than 10 percent to $2.3 billion for the month, a decrease of nearly $300 million when compared to January 2009.

January 2010 marks the fifteenth consecutive month in which U.S. travel and tourism-related exports were lower when compared to the same period of the previous year. Indeed, this downturn in U.S. travel and tourism exports, beginning in the closing months of 2008, interrupted more than sixty consecutive months of positive growth.

The U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating international travel and tourism statistics for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Statistical System. For more monthly travel and tourism-related trade data dating back to 1992, please visit:
< http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Monthly_Exports_Imports_Balance.xls>.