Tourism is a major part of the U.S. economy, connecting international arrivals, domestic trips, employment, travel exports, and public investment. The figures below describe the sector’s 2022 and 2023 position, its 2019 and 2020 comparison points, and forecasts extending through 2028. Unless a forecast is explicitly identified, the source is reporting a measured or estimated historical figure.
Table of contents
- Economic size and employment
- International arrivals and travel exports
- Where U.S. visitors came from
- Domestic travel and spending
- Forecasts and national tourism goals
- Visas, border processing, and access
- Investment, rural communities, and geographic recovery
Economic size and employment
The U.S. travel and tourism sector generated USD 764 billion in gross value added in 2022. That contribution represented 3.0% of national gross value added. In the same year, tourism directly employed 6.6 million people, equal to 4.2% of the total workforce. These measures describe tourism’s direct contribution rather than a broader total that might include indirect or induced effects. OECD, United States profile 2024
Employment had not yet returned to its earlier high. The U.S. tourism sector recorded 7.3 million jobs at its pre-pandemic peak in 2019. Comparing that benchmark with the 6.6 million direct jobs reported for 2022 shows a difference of 700,000 jobs across the two reported years. The figures are not the same measurement year, so they are best read as a recovery comparison rather than a single-year change rate. OECD, United States profile 2024
The sector also matters through services trade. U.S. travel exports totaled USD 213 billion in 2023. They represented 21.3% of total service exports that year, compared with 26.8% in 2019 and 10.5% in 2021. The share therefore rose from the 2021 level but remained below the 2019 share in the reported comparison. OECD, United States profile 2024
| Indicator | Earlier comparison | Reported later figure |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism direct employment | 7.3 million jobs in 2019 | 6.6 million in 2022 |
| Travel exports as a share of service exports | 26.8% in 2019; 10.5% in 2021 | 21.3% in 2023 |
| International tourist arrivals | 19.2 million in 2020; 79.4 million in 2019 | 66.5 million in 2023 |
| Domestic traveler spending | USD 992 billion in 2019 | USD 943 billion in 2023 |
International arrivals and travel exports
The United States recorded 66.5 million international tourist arrivals in 2023. This was 246% above the 2020 pandemic low of 19.2 million, showing the scale of the rebound from the lowest point supplied here. Even after that recovery, the 2023 total was 84% of the 2019 level. The 2019 comparison is also reported as 79.4 million arrivals in the National Travel and Tourism Office forecast series. OECD, United States profile 2024
Arrivals and export earnings describe different parts of international tourism. Arrivals count international tourist visits, while travel exports measure the value of travel services sold internationally. In 2023, travel exports reached USD 213 billion and accounted for 21.3% of U.S. service exports. The arrival count and the export total should therefore not be treated as interchangeable measures of the same activity.
The supplied 2023 arrival figure also includes a geographic recovery pattern. Overseas visitation to eight U.S. states and one U.S. territory surpassed 2019 levels in 2023. At the other end of the range, visitation remained below 60% of 2019 levels in five states and two U.S. territories. These figures indicate that national recovery was uneven across destinations, even when the national total had climbed substantially from 2020.
Where U.S. visitors came from
Canada and Mexico were the largest listed source markets among the top five for U.S. inbound tourism in 2023. Canada accounted for 31% of those top five source markets, while Mexico accounted for 22%. The United Kingdom represented 6%, and Germany and India each represented 3%.
| Listed source market | Share of the top five source markets, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Canada | 31% |
| Mexico | 22% |
| United Kingdom | 6% |
| Germany | 3% |
| India | 3% |
These percentages are explicitly shares of the top five source markets, not shares of every international arrival to the United States. Keeping that denominator clear matters when comparing markets or interpreting the distribution.
Visa activity provides another view of international travel access. U.S. embassies and consulates issued more than 10.4 million non-immigrant visas globally in 2023. That was 20% more visas than in 2019. The same year brought record visa volumes in Mexico, Brazil, India, and Colombia. Nearly 40% of the 10.4 million travelers who received U.S. non-immigrant visas in fiscal year 2023 did not require an in-person interview.
Domestic travel and spending
International arrivals are only one part of U.S. tourism. Domestic U.S. travelers took an estimated 2.3 billion person-trips in 2023. They spent USD 943 billion in nominal terms during that year. Domestic traveler spending was lower than the USD 992 billion reported for 2019.
The word “estimated” is important for the person-trip figure, while “nominal terms” describes the basis of the spending total. The 2023 spending amount and the 2019 amount are therefore useful reported-dollar comparisons, but they do not by themselves measure inflation-adjusted change. The supplied figures also do not provide a per-trip spending calculation, so no such ratio is inferred here.
Domestic travel broadens the picture of the sector’s scale. The 2.3 billion estimated person-trips far exceed the number of international tourist arrivals because the two measures cover different traveler populations and trip types. International arrivals describe inbound tourism to the United States; domestic person-trips describe travel by people traveling within the country.
Forecasts and national tourism goals
The U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office forecast international visitation at 77.7 million in 2024, 85.2 million in 2025, 91.1 million in 2026, and 96.8 million in 2028. These are forecasts, not completed arrival counts. The 2025 forecast of 85.2 million was expected to surpass the 2019 total of 79.4 million.
| Year | International visitation |
|---|---|
| 2019 comparison total | 79.4 million |
| 2023 recorded arrivals | 66.5 million |
| 2024 forecast | 77.7 million |
| 2025 forecast | 85.2 million |
| 2026 forecast | 91.1 million |
| 2028 forecast | 96.8 million |
The 2022 National Travel and Tourism Strategy set a goal of attracting 90 million visitors. It estimated that those 90 million visitors would spend USD 279 billion annually by 2027. The goal and its spending estimate are policy targets and projections, rather than a report of the 2027 outcome.
Tourism administration has a defined institutional scale as well. The U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board can have up to 32 private-sector members. The U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office had an operational budget of approximately USD 6.9 million for fiscal year 2023. The Travel Promotion Fund can allocate up to USD 100 million to Brand USA. These figures describe governance and promotion capacity, not visitor spending.
Visas, border processing, and access
The 2023 visa figures show both volume and processing changes. More than 10.4 million non-immigrant visas were issued globally by the United States, and U.S. embassies and consulates issued 20% more visas than in 2019. Nearly 40% of the travelers receiving those fiscal year 2023 visas did not require an in-person interview.
Technology was also used in entry and exit processing. Biometrics-based exit was available at 50 airports. More than 500 million travelers had been processed through facial biometrics at air, land, and seaports. The 500 million figure is cumulative processing across those transport environments; it is not a count of 2023 tourist arrivals.
The source also identifies record 2023 visa volumes in Mexico, Brazil, India, and Colombia. Those country-level records sit alongside the broader global total, while the international-arrival statistics measure actual tourism visits rather than visa issuance. A visa can therefore be understood as an access or processing statistic, not as a direct substitute for an arrival count.
Investment, rural communities, and geographic recovery
Public programs supported tourism destinations and infrastructure during the recovery period. American Rescue Plan support for travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation communities was valued at USD 750 million. Competitive grant funding of USD 240 million was distributed across 126 awards. Those awards were expected to generate USD 1.1 billion in private investment and create or save approximately 10,000 jobs. More than 50% of the awards were expected to benefit historically underserved communities and populations.
The figures describe expected results where the source uses “expected,” so they should not be presented as completed investment or job totals. The 126 awards and USD 240 million distributed are reported allocation figures; the USD 1.1 billion and approximately 10,000 jobs are associated expectations.
Outdoor and rural tourism received specific support. The National Park Service invested USD 31 million to rehabilitate Foothills Parkway West. The Recreation Economy for Rural Communities programme assisted 25 small and rural communities, with awards covering 17 states.
Taken together, these programs show several ways tourism policy is measured: direct economic value, jobs, international arrivals, domestic trips, visa issuance, infrastructure investment, grant distribution, and projected private-sector effects. The National Travel and Tourism Office is identified as the official source of tourism statistics for public policy and private-sector business decisions. OECD, United States profile 2024