In Brief: International visitors spent nearly $20.4 billion on U.S. travel and tourism in July 2026, down nearly 1% from a year earlier, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. The United States recorded a $413 million travel trade surplus for the month, as spending by Americans traveling abroad rose nearly 3% to almost $20 billion.
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U.S. Travel Trade Surplus Reaches $413 Million as Overseas Spending Rises – Image Credit Unsplash
July travel exports decline slightly
International visitors spent nearly $20.4 billion on travel and tourism-related activities in the United States in July 2026, according to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office, or NTTO. The total was nearly 1% lower than in July 2025.
The figures cover spending by foreign residents on goods and services connected to travel in the United States, including lodging, food, local transportation, recreation, entertainment and other travel-related purchases. The July result indicates that foreign visitor spending was slightly below the level recorded during the same month a year earlier.
At the same time, Americans spent nearly $20 billion on travel abroad during July. That was nearly 3% higher than what U.S. travelers spent outside the country in July 2025.
The difference between international visitors’ spending in the United States and Americans’ spending abroad resulted in a travel and tourism trade surplus of $413 million for July. The surplus is calculated by subtracting travel-related imports, or Americans’ spending abroad, from travel-related exports, or international visitors’ spending in the United States.
Travel purchases remain the largest category
Travel spending was the largest component of U.S. travel and tourism exports during July. International visitors spent nearly $11.3 billion on travel-related goods and services, compared with about $11.5 billion in July 2025.
The category declined 2% from the previous year and accounted for 55% of total U.S. travel and tourism exports during the month.
Travel spending includes purchases visitors make while in the United States. The NTTO lists food, lodging, recreation, gifts, entertainment and local transportation among the expenses included in this category. Other incidental purchases connected to a foreign visitor’s trip are also included.
The decline in travel spending was larger than the overall decline in travel and tourism exports. Other categories, particularly spending related to education, health care and short-term work, offset part of the drop in visitor purchases of standard travel services.
Air fare receipts also fall
Passenger fare receipts received by U.S. air carriers from international visitors totaled $2.8 billion in July 2026. The amount was down nearly 3% compared with July 2025.
These receipts represent spending by foreign residents on international flights operated by U.S. airlines. They accounted for 14% of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in July.
The passenger fare category is separate from other travel spending because it measures revenue U.S. carriers receive for air transportation. The NTTO’s travel export figures combine this category with visitor purchases in the United States and spending connected to education, medical services and temporary work.
Education, medical and worker spending increases
Spending related to medical tourism, education and short-term workers totaled $6.3 billion in July. The category increased by nearly 3% from the previous year.
It represented 31% of total U.S. travel and tourism exports for the month. The category includes expenditures for educational and health-related travel, as well as spending by border workers, seasonal workers and other short-term workers in the United States.
This segment’s increase contrasted with declines in travel purchases and passenger fare receipts. Its growth helped offset the decline in overall international visitor spending in July.
Year-to-date spending remains nearly flat
From January through July 2026, international visitors spent an estimated $145.4 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services. That total was relatively unchanged from the same seven-month period in 2025, declining 0.1%.
The year-to-date figure means international visitors contributed an average of $686 million per day to the U.S. economy during the first seven months of 2026, according to the NTTO data.
The July figures show that foreign visitors’ spending remained close to the prior year’s level overall, though the composition of spending shifted. Standard travel purchases and U.S. carrier fare receipts declined, while medical, education and short-term worker expenditures increased.
