The Office of Travel and Tourism Industries recently published its annual United States Travel and Tourism Exports, Imports, and the Balance of Trade report for 2010. Put simply, U.S. travel and tourism-related exports rebounded in 2010, following the precipitous drop in 2009 that resulted in a record-setting year-over-year decline of $21.0 billion (15%).
• International visitors spent $134.4 billion experiencing the United States in 2010, averaging nearly $1.2 billion more a month than was spent in 2009.
• Americans increased their travel-related spending abroad, too. In 2010 Americans spent $102.7 billion abroad, nearly 4 percent more than was spent in 2009.
• The United States enjoyed a $31.7 billion trade surplus for travel and tourism last year, 50 percent more favorable than the $21.1 billion surplus in 2009 and the largest trade surplus on record.
• U.S. travel and tourism-related exports accounted for 25 percent of all U.S. services exports and 7 percent of all exports, goods and services alike.
• Travel and tourism exports to the Asia/Pacific region increased nearly 18 percent, the largest increase of any world region; indeed, international visitors from China, Singapore, and South Korea increased their tourism-related spending by 39 percent, 31 percent, and 30 percent, respectively.
• Six of the top ten markets for U.S. travel and tourism-related exports posted double-digit gains in 2010; of the twenty-one preliminary countries reported, twelve countries produced double-digit gains and six countries generated record-level spending in 2010.
• In fact every single country and region reported gains in total travel and tourism-related spending in the United States in 2010, except France and Belgium/Luxembourg. U.S. travel and tourism-related exports to visitors from France declined 1 percent in 2010, while exports to travelers from Belgium/Luxembourg declined 5 percent last year.
