International tourist travel to the U.S. dips slightly in May
by July 12, 2016 9:23 am 109 views
International tourists traveled to and spent less within the United States this May when compared to the same period of time last year, but overall business remains up compared to 2015.
Ken Hyatt, acting U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, made the announcement late last week, noting a 0.1% decline in the January-May period. Overall figures still hit $21 billion with a year-to-date total of $104.6 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services.
The year-to-date number represents an increase of more than 3% when compared to 2015. Conversely, Americans spent an estimated $65.7 billion abroad, yielding a balance of trade surplus of $38.9 billion year to date.
“International visitors spent nearly $665 million a day experiencing the United States in May, positioning travel and tourism as America’s leading services export,” Hyatt said, adding that “travel and tourism exports accounted for nearly a third of all U.S. services exports last year and 11% of all U.S. exports – supporting more than 1.1 million U.S. jobs.”
Following are other findings from the May report.
• Travel Receipts
Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $13 billion during May, a decrease of nearly 2% 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% of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in May.
• Passenger Fare Receipts
Fares received by U.S. carriers from international visitors totaled $3.2 billion for the month, a decrease of 9% when compared to May 2015. Passenger fare receipts accounted for 15% of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in May.
• Medical/Education/Short-Term Worker
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% when compared to the same period last year. Medical tourism, education, and short-term worker receipts accounted for 21% of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in May.