December 28, 2012 - The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced that international visitors spent an estimated $13.9 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States during the month of October - nearly $770 million more (6%) than was spent in October 2011.

• Travel Receipts: Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $10.7 billion during October, an increase of more than 7 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.
• Passenger Fare Receipts: Fares received by U.S. carriers (and U.S. vessel operators) from international visitors increased ever-so-slightly (less than 1%) for the month, following an increase of more than 1 percent in September. U.S carriers have, however, received more than $33 billion from international visitors during the first ten months of 2012, the strongest year-to-date performance on record.

International visitors have spent an estimated $139.6 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date (January through October), an increase of nearly 10 percent when compared to the same period last.

Americans have spent nearly $99.1 billion abroad year to date (up 9%) - resulting in a $40.5 billion balance of trade surplus for travel and tourism through the first ten months of 2012.

The 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 travel and tourism-related trade data dating to 1992, please visit:
http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Monthly_Exports_Imports_Balance.xls