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More U.S. travel boosterism, helping bring more jobs into the travel sector.

Tourists coming into U.S. are spending considerably more this year than they did last year, according to just-released figures by U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration.

Among the numbers:
— International tourists have spent an estimated $82.2 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date, an increase of 11 percent when compared to the same period last year.
— International visitors could end up injecting more than $169 billion into the U.S. economy by year-end.
— U.S carriers have received nearly $19.6 billion from international visitors during the first 6 months of 2012.

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FULL RELEASE:

International Visitor Spending Reaches $82.2 Billion in the First Half of 2012

Growth is 11 percent higher than in 2011

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) announced that international visitors have spent an estimated $82.2 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date, an increase of 11 percent when compared to the same period last year.  The new data confirm that the U.S. travel and tourism industry is on pace for another record-setting year and, if these trends to continue, international visitors could end up injecting more than $169 billion into the U.S. economy by year-end.

“The travel data released today indicate that the second quarter of 2012 set a new record for travel and tourism exports,” said Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank. “Tourism is a bright spot in our economy and is our number one services export. It supports millions of American jobs, and the Obama administration remains committed to doing everything possible to help make the United States the top destination for international visitors. An important part of that is implementing the National Travel and Tourism Strategy, which aims to attract more than 100 million international visitors annually by 2021, generating more than $250 billion annually in revenue.”

International visitors spent an estimated $13.8 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States in June 2012—$860 million more or 7 percent more than was spent in June 2011. Travel and tourism-related exports have increased, on average, more than $1.3 billion a month during the first six months of 2012.

Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $10.6 billion during June, an increase of seven 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.

Fares received by U.S. carriers (and U.S. vessel operators) from international visitors increased by more than 6 percent to $3.3 billion for the month. U.S carriers have received nearly $19.6 billion from international visitors during the first 6 months of 2012.

The National Travel and Tourism Strategy (PDF), which the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Interior presented to the president in May, is a blueprint to increase international travel to the United States in order to build on this growing sector of the economy. The strategy lays out concrete steps to be taken in five key areas, in addition to the goal of increasing international visitors to the United States. As part of those efforts, ITA is continuing to supply the travel and tourism industry with important data, including international arrivals to the U.S., the forecast of international travel to America for more than 30 countries, and estimates of the total impact of travel and tourism on the economy, among other services.

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