Direct spending on travel in the US at $1.2 trillion last year was on par with pre-pandemic figures, new data reveals.
The US Travel Association figures reflected the industry’s “essential contributions” to the American economy.
But US Travel economists cautioned that when adjusting for inflation, overall travel spending remained down 14% in 2022.
The travel sector supported 15 million workers in the US, including eight million directly employed by the travel industry.
Travel spending generated nearly $160 billion in total tax revenue, including $84 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2022.
US Travel Association president and chief executive Geoff Freeman said: “Travel rebounded strongly in 2022 thanks to robust demand for domestic leisure travel.
“Now we must focus on fully restoring the international and business travel segments to continue growing this critical driver of the US economy.”
The figures emerged as industry leaders lobbied 230 members of the US Congress to highlight issues such as visa wait times ands the need to fully fund the office for an assistant secretary of commerce for travel and tourism.
Freeman added: “Travel’s success is the nation’s success – these priorities are not just important to our industry but to the future of the US economy.”