Industry NewsU.S. Department of Commerce Reports Record Spending by International Visitors in 2017

U.S. Department of Commerce Reports Record Spending by International Visitors in 2017

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) this week announced that the United States welcomed nearly 77 million international visitors into the country in 2017. Those visitors collectively spent a record-setting $251.4 billion in 2017, a 2 percent increase when compared to 2016. Over the course of 2017, travel and tourism exports helped support more than 1.2 million American jobs across the United States.

“International travelers continue to set spending records visiting the United States, and I expect that trend to continue in 2018 spawning further job growth,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The American tourism industry, which generated a trade surplus of more than $77.4 billion last year, continues to help drive our economy to new heights.”

U.S. travel and tourism-related exports accounted for nearly 32 percent of all U.S. services exports and 11 percent of all U.S. exports, with goods and services combined.

Spending on personal travel—including leisure, education, and health-related travel—as well as passenger air transportation increased 3.1 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively. Education-related travel, in and of itself, accounted for nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of the increase in personal travel.

The number of international travelers to the United States rose 0.7 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year. Growing markets were led by South Korea (up 17.8 percent), Brazil (up 11 percent), Argentina (up 10 percent), Ireland (up 9 percent), and Canada (up 4.8 percent). Growing markets outnumbered declining markets by 2-to-1.

On April 9, 2018, NTTO temporarily suspended publication of overseas arrivals data due to anomalies in records received from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Together, the NTTO and CBP identified approximately 4.5 million records that had been misclassified with respect to residency, due to a programming error. The misclassification had not been identified until it became apparent that the records were not reflecting trends consistent with other indicators of overseas travel to the United States. The data has been revised for 2016 and 2017 and has been posted to the NTTO website.

Phil Lovas, deputy assistant secretary of NTTO, shared the most recent data with hoteliers at the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Asian American Hotel Owners Association’s (AAHOA) 2018 Legislative Action Summit on September 12. “We are working to communicate that the United States wants and welcomes legitimate international visitors,” Lovas said. “We are coordinating with our federal partners at the Departments of State and Homeland Security to ensure that international travelers and the travel trade know that the United States is open for business. We can and we will do more moving forward in this area.”

Lovas added that Brand USA is communicating a welcoming message to international visitors and working to expand existing markets and open new ones. 

RELATED ARTICLES

In Harmony With Sea and Sky

The March 2024 multimillion-dollar renovation of the Hotel La Jolla, Curio Collection by Hilton, introduced Sea & Sky, a new restaurant on the penthouse...

Remington Hospitality Appoints Ben Perelmuter as Chief Executive Officer

DALLAS, Texas—Remington Hospitality announced the appointment of Ben Perelmuter as its new chief executive officer, effective June 2, 2025. Perelmuter brings nearly three decades...

SMARTLINEN Announces Launch of Reporting App

MIAMI, Florida—SMARTLINEN announced the launch of its reporting app for Android and iOS. Designed specifically for the hospitality sector, the platform offers hotel operators...

CoStar: U.S. Hotel Industry Reports Negative Weekly Comparisons

ARLINGTON, Virginia—The U.S. hotel industry reported negative year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar’s latest data through May 10. U.S. Hotel PerformanceMay 4 - May 10, 2025Percentage change...

Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center Opens in California

BETHESDA, Maryland—Gaylord Hotels and Marriott International announced the opening of Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center, the first-ever Gaylord Hotels property in California and...

Hunter Hotel Advisors Facilitates Sale of Hampton Inn & Suites Bridgewater

ATLANTA, Georgia—Hunter Hotel Advisors (Hunter) announced the sale of the Hampton Inn & Suites Bridgewater. Innzen Hospitality purchased the property from FSG Bridgewater Hotel...