International Visitor Spending in U.S. Falls 5% in August As Tourism Receipts Decline

In Brief: International visitors invested almost $19.9 billion in the United States in August 2026, down 5% year over year, according to NTTO information. Investing in accommodations, dining, leisure, and other travel-related products and services fell almost 9%, while overall worldwide visitor costs through August reached $165 billion, down almost 1% from 2025.

International visitors invested$19.9 billion in the United States in August 2026, with costs on travel-related products and services down almost 9 %from the exact same month in 2015, according to brand-new federal information.

International visitor costs in the United States decreased in August 2026, extending issues about the nation’s capability to keep global tourist profits in spite of ongoing development in worldwide travel need.

According to the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO)global visitors invested almost $19.9 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related items and services in August, down about 5% from August 2025.

The decrease was more noticable in investing straight related to visitor activities, consisting of accommodations, dining establishments, entertainment, home entertainment, shopping, and domestic transport.

Conventional Tourism Spending Falls Nearly 9%

International visitors invested about $10.8 billion on travel-related items and services in the United States in August, below $11.8 billion a year previously.

The almost 9% decrease matters for the hospitality market since it consists of hotel lodgings, food and drink purchases, leisure activities, and other expenses connected to worldwide leisure and service travel.

These purchases represented 54% of overall U.S. travel and tourist exports throughout the month.

The figures determine visitor expenses instead of hotel space need straight. The decrease shows decreased global costs throughout numerous sectors that depend on incoming tourists.

Airline Company Passenger Revenue Also Declines

Guest fare invoices from global visitors taking a trip on U.S. airline companies amounted to $2.8 billion in August, down around 3% year over year.

These invoices represented 14% of overall U.S. travel and tourist exports.

The decrease includes another measurement to the downturn in worldwide visitor expenses, although guest fare invoices show costs with U.S. providers instead of overall worldwide airline company activity.

Education and Medical Tourism Provide Some Support

Not all classifications of global costs decreased.

Expenses on education, medical tourist, and border, seasonal, and other short-term employees increased more than 3% year over year to about $6.4 billion.

This classification represented 32% of overall U.S. travel and tourist exports in August.

Its development assisted balance out weak point in traditional tourist costs, highlighting distinctions amongst the activities consisted of in the federal government’s travel export stats.

U.S. Maintains Narrow Travel Trade Surplus

International visitors invested almost $19.9 billion in the United States, while American tourists invested more than $19.7 billion abroad in August, up 0.5% from the previous year.

The distinction produced a $157 million travel and tourist trade surplus for the month.

For the very first 8 months of 2026, the United States taped a cumulative travel and tourist trade surplus of almost $5.6 billion.

The narrowing space in between incoming and outgoing costs highlights pressure on the nation’s global tourist trade balance.

International Visitor Spending Reaches $165 Billion Through August

From January through August, worldwide visitors invested an approximated $165 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related products and services, almost 1% listed below the similar duration in 2025.

That costs balanced about $679 million daily to the U.S. economy.

The year-to-date decrease was smaller sized than the August decline, suggesting that the current month-to-month figures were weaker than the cumulative pattern.

For hotel owners and operators, the difference in between total tourist exports and direct visitor expenses is essential.

While overall worldwide tourist costs stays considerable, the August figures reveal a sharper contraction in the classifications most carefully connected with hotel stays, dining, and location activities.

The NTTO information do not develop whether the decrease arised from less worldwide visitors, much shorter stays, modifications in visitor costs patterns, or a mix of elements.