A study by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) reveals that visitors from China and India are the biggest spenders in the United States, despite being described as coming from 'hellholes' in a remark reposted by former President Donald Trump. The report estimates the economic impact of overseas travelers, highlighting that spending from these two nations leads all other countries.
Top Spending Countries
The NTTO study states that visitor spending by the top 10 overseas countries accounted for 59% of total overseas spending in the US. These countries are: China, India, the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Korea, Germany, Japan, Australia, Italy, and Colombia.
Economic Impact
In 2024, the US welcomed over 35 million visitors from overseas, excluding land border neighbors Canada and Mexico. These visitors spent $169.8 billion on travel-related goods and services, including international student spending on education. This spending directly supported nearly 906,000 jobs in the US economy.
The report notes that the new estimates capture overseas visitor spending in each US state and territory, as well as local employment supported by this spending.
Top Five States
In terms of overseas visitor spending, the top five states — New York, California, Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts — collectively received $99.7 billion, accounting for 58.7% of total overseas visitor spending in the US.
Decline in Indian Visitors
While India remains one of the top overseas markets for inbound visitors to the US, growth in numbers has declined in recent years due to factors such as visa issuance challenges, increased airfare, and poorer connectivity.
