One Big Thing: Telling Our Industry’s Story

As our industry confronts mounting challenges, it’s more critical than ever to communicate the importance of travel to policymakers.

The facts are irrefutable: Travel is an essential economic powerhouse with a story that must be heard.

U.S. Travel is harnessing concrete data and evidence, and we’ve developed a powerful new resource, packed with key facts, to help you share this story with elected officials, business leaders and the media.

Travel’s Economic Impact

• $2.9 trillion economic footprint: Travel generates $1.3 trillion in direct spending, fueling growth across industries.
• 15 million American jobs: One in every 11 U.S. jobs depends on travel, making it a cornerstone of employment and economic stability.
• Vital tax revenue: Travel contributed $190 billion in tax revenue in 2024 — without it, the average U.S. household would pay $1,490 more in taxes.
• State and local funding: Travel delivered $89 billion to state and local governments, directly supporting education, infrastructure and public safety.

Travel Segments

• Leisure: The backbone of the industry, driving $1 trillion in spending in 2024, with 82% of domestic trips taken for leisure.
• International inbound: Contributed $181 billion, though visitor volume remains 9% below 2019 levels.
• Business: Critical for economic growth, generating $186 billion in transient travel and $126 billion in group spending.

Restoring U.S. travel market share to 2015 levels would bring 127 million additional visitors over the next decade, inject $478 billion into the economy and create 140,000 new jobs.

• To fully harness the power of travel, the U.S. must implement strategic policies that boost international arrivals, streamline travel processes and capitalize on major global events.
• We’re actively working with the White House and Congress to advance policies that drive economic expansion and keep the U.S. competitive on the global stage.

U.S. Travel will continue to identify and develop resources and data to help you make the case for our industry. View the fact sheet.

Courtesy of U.S. Travel Association.