In Brief: International visitor spending increased modestly, but faster growth in Americans’ overseas spending produced a monthly trade deficit
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International Visitor Spending in U.S. Falls 5% in August As Tourism Receipts Decline – Image Credit Unsplash+
International visitors spent nearly $20.4 billion on travel to the United States and tourism-related activities within the country in September 2026, according to recently released data from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO).
The monthly total was more than 1 percent higher than in September 2025. However, spending by Americans traveling abroad rose faster, increasing 6 percent year over year to nearly $20.7 billion. As a result, the United States recorded a $269 million travel and tourism trade deficit for the month.
Despite the September deficit, the sector maintained a year-to-date trade surplus of nearly $5.2 billion.
From January through September 2026, international visitors spent an estimated $185.6 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services. That was down by less than half of 1 percent from the same period in 2025.
On average, international visitors injected approximately $680 million per day into the U.S. economy during the first nine months of 2026.
Travel purchases remained the largest export category
Direct purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors totaled nearly $11.2 billion in September, down from $11.3 billion a year earlier—a 1 percent decline.
This category includes spending on lodging, food, recreation, entertainment, gifts, local transportation and other expenses associated with traveling in the United States.
Travel receipts accounted for 55 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in September, making them the industry’s largest export component.
Passenger fare receipts rose 7 percent
U.S. air carriers received $2.8 billion in passenger fares from international visitors in September, up 7 percent from September 2025.
Passenger fare receipts represent spending by foreign residents on international flights operated by U.S. carriers. The category accounted for 14 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports during the month.
Education, medical tourism and short-term worker spending increased
International spending associated with education and health-related tourism, together with expenditures by border, seasonal and other short-term workers in the United States, reached $6.4 billion in September.
That was up more than 3 percent from the previous year. Collectively, these expenditures accounted for 31 percent of U.S. travel and tourism exports during the month.
A mixed picture for the travel economy
The September data present a mixed picture for the U.S. travel economy. International visitor spending continued to grow month over month, supported by gains in passenger fares and education, medical tourism and short-term worker expenditures. Direct travel purchases, however, declined slightly.
At the same time, Americans’ spending abroad grew substantially faster than international visitor spending in the United States, creating a modest monthly trade deficit. The sector nevertheless remained a net exporter through the first nine months of 2026, with a multibillion-dollar year-to-date surplus.