Expenditure of American Travelers Outside of the United States Hits Record High

The most recent monthly travel trade monitor from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) reveals that in January, Americans spent a historic $15.8 million on tourism-related activities during their international travels. This amount surpasses the highest recorded spending in a single month prior to the outbreak of the pandemic in January 2020.

Further data from the agency indicates that in January, the number of U.S. citizens departing from the country by air to foreign destinations totaled 4.283 million, representing a 75 percent surge from the same period in 2022. This number also exceeds the volume recorded in January 2019 by 7 percent.

In the same month, international visitors to the United States spent roughly $14.7 billion on travel to the U.S. and tourism-related activities, indicating a year-over-year change of 63.9 percent. Of this amount, $7.9 billion was spent solely on activities within the United States by international visitors, marking a 114.4 percent increase from the previous year.

As per the agency, the gap between the expenditure of Americans abroad and the spending of international visitors within the United States resulted in a deficit of $1.1 billion.

The data on American travel abroad corroborates a recent report by TripIt, which highlights that Americans remain optimistic about traveling in 2023 and are undeterred by inflation when it comes to their travel plans.

In a separate announcement earlier this week, the NTTO disclosed that inbound travel to the United States is predicted to recover fully to pre-pandemic levels by 2025 and is estimated to reach 91 million international visits by 2027, aligning with the recently-announced National Travel and Tourism Strategy of the government.

The total number of air passengers traveling to and from the United States and other countries in January was topped by Mexico, with 3.4 million trips, followed by Canada with 2.1 million trips, and the United Kingdom with 1.16 million trips.