NTTO: U.S. Travel and Tourism Exports—September 2026
Date postedNovember 11, 2026
The National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released data showing that in September 2026:
- International visitors spent nearly $20.4 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States during the month of September, an increase of more than 1 percent when compared to September 2025.
- Americans spent nearly $20.7 billion traveling abroad during September (up 6% compared to last year), yielding a $269 million balance of trade deficit (exports minus imports) for the month, but a nearly $5.2 billion surplus year to date.
- International visitors have spent an estimated $185.6 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services during 2026, a decrease of less than one half of 1 percent when compared to the same period (January – September) last year; international visitors injected, on average, $680 million a day into the U.S. economy in 2026.
Composition of Monthly Spending (Travel Exports)
- Travel Spending
- Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled nearly $11.2 billion during September 2026 (compared to $11.3 billion in September 2025), down 1 percent 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.
- Travel receipts accounted for 55 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in September 2026.
- Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled nearly $11.2 billion during September 2026 (compared to $11.3 billion in September 2025), down 1 percent 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.
- Passenger Fare Receipts
- Fares received by U.S. carriers from international visitors totaled $2.8 billion in September 2026, up 7 percent when compared to September 2025. These receipts represent expenditures by foreign residents on international flights provided by U.S. air carriers.
- Passenger fare receipts accounted for 14 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports during September.
- Fares received by U.S. carriers from international visitors totaled $2.8 billion in September 2026, up 7 percent when compared to September 2025. These receipts represent expenditures by foreign residents on international flights provided by U.S. air carriers.
- Medical/Education/Short-Term Worker Spending
- Expenditures for educational and health-related tourism, along with all expenditures by border, seasonal, and other short-term workers in the United States totaled $6.4 billion in September, an increase of more than 3 percent when compared to the previous year.
- Medical tourism, education, and short-term worker expenditures accounted for 31 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in September 2026.
- Expenditures for educational and health-related tourism, along with all expenditures by border, seasonal, and other short-term workers in the United States totaled $6.4 billion in September, an increase of more than 3 percent when compared to the previous year.