Visitor direct spending reached $58.5 billion, with a notable 5.4% increase, which is equivalent to hosting nearly two NFL Super Bowls every week of the year.
In his farewell speech, Chris Thompson highlighted that by 2027, the United States is expected to receive 90 million visitors, who will spend $279 billion annually, as outlined in the 2022 National Travel and Tourism Strategy.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman emphasized the urgent need for federal intervention, stating, "While we inch back to pre-pandemic travel numbers, other countries are actively advancing strategies to gain international visitors and are now ahead of the United States in the race to win back the global travel market."
International inbound travel is making strides toward recovery, aided by the recent repeal of the inbound pre-departure testing requirement. The sector is projected to grow rapidly through the rest of 2022, and then grow at a slower pace in 2023-2026. A full recovery to pre-pandemic levels (volume and spending) is not expected until 2025.
