“This President is the first-ever to establish a national strategy for increasing travel and tourism here in the U.S., and we clearly have great momentum behind this effort,” said Pritzker in a prepared statement. “Travel and tourism to and within the United States has been a significant contributor to our economic recovery, and this administration is working to ensure we can reach the President’s goal of attracting 100 million international visitors to the United States by 2021.”

Travel and tourism exports consist of Travel Receipts and Passenger Fare Receipts.

Travel Receipts: Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled a record-setting $139.6 billion in 2013, an increase of nearly 11 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 by nearly 5 percent to $41.2 billion for the year, breaking the previous record of $39.4 billion set in 2012. Since the global economic downturn in 2009, U.S. passenger fare receipts have risen nearly 58 percent.

U.S. travel and tourism-related exports now account for more than 26 percent of all U.S. services exports, and nearly 8 percent of total U.S. exports.

In 2012, President Obama launched the National Travel and Tourism Strategy, charting a new course toward making America a more attractive and accessible destination than ever before. The Strategy sets a goal of drawing 100 million international visitors by 2021, which is expected to generate $250 billion annually in visitor spending by 2012. The strategy also encourages more Americans to travel within the United States.