- International visitors spent $20.4bn in US during July 2026, down 1pc year-on-year
- Americans spent $20.0bn abroad, up 3pc, yielding $413m trade surplus
- 2026 year-to-date international spending $145.4bn, down 0.1pc
- Travel receipts accounted for 55pc of total exports at $11.3bn
- Medical, education and short-term worker spending up 3pc to $6.3bn
International visitors have spent nearly $20.4bn on travel to and tourism-related activities within the United States during July 2026, representing a decrease of nearly 1pc when compared to July 2025, according to data released by the National Travel and Tourism Office. Americans spent nearly $20.0bn travelling abroad during July, up nearly 3pc compared to the previous year, yielding a $413m balance of trade surplus for the month. International visitors have spent an estimated $145.4bn on US travel and tourism-related goods and services during 2026, relatively unchanged with a 0.1pc decrease compared to the same period last year, with international visitors injecting on average $686m daily into the US economy in 2026.
Travel spending, comprising purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors travelling in the United States, totalled nearly $11.3bn during July 2026 compared to $11.5bn in July 2025, down 2pc when compared to the previous year. These goods and services include food, lodging, recreation, gifts, entertainment, local transportation in the United States and other items incidental to foreign travel, with travel receipts accounting for 55pc of total US travel and tourism exports in July 2026. Passenger fare receipts received by US carriers from international visitors totalled $2.8bn in July 2026, down nearly 3pc when compared to July 2025, representing expenditures by foreign residents on international flights provided by US air carriers and accounting for 14pc of total US travel and tourism exports during July.
Expenditures for educational and health-related tourism, along with all expenditures by border, seasonal and other short-term workers in the United States, totalled $6.3bn in July, an increase of nearly 3pc when compared to the previous year. Medical tourism, education and short-term worker expenditures accounted for 31pc of total US travel and tourism exports in July 2026. The National Travel and Tourism Office is responsible for collecting, analysing and disseminating international travel and tourism statistics for the US Travel and Tourism Statistical System, with the International Travel Receipts and Payments Program providing monthly travel and tourism-related trade data dating back to 1999.
