EXCLUSIVE — International visitors to the United States spent $126.9 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services in the first half of 2025, the strongest six-month showing on record.

The new travel exports data, which are set to be released Wednesday by the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, covers January through June and marks a 2.2% increase from last year. Trump administration officials praised the news as evidence that the U.S. continues to be a prized destination for tourists.

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“President Trump has revitalized our country, ushering in the Golden Age of America,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said. “Today’s record tourism numbers prove it. With historic prosperity and President Trump’s focus on public safety, people from around the world are coming to visit in record numbers.”

Specifically, U.S. travel exports measure inbound spending by foreign residents on goods and services on trips to the U.S. For years, inbound travel was affected by the pandemic, but the latest figures represent a 3.5% increase compared to a pre-COVID-19 peak in 2018.

Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade William Kimmitt, who leads the International Trade Administration, said the new data show the “appeal of the United States as the world’s premier travel destination.”

“The United States offers an unmatched variety of destinations for international travelers, and tourism records will continue to fall under the Trump administration as the United States prepares to host major international and signature events in the months and years ahead,” he added.

It is worth noting that the value of the U.S. dollar has dipped since the start of the year, although it is still relatively strong by historical standards. A lower dollar makes exchange rates more favorable for foreign travelers and makes the U.S. a more appealing destination.

TRUMP TARIFFS WILL REDUCE DEFICITS BY $4 TRILLION OVER NEXT DECADE, CBO SAYS

Despite concerns about tariffs affecting the economy, and a dip in U.S. gross domestic product in the first quarter of the year, GDP rebounded and expanded at a 3% annual clip in the second quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said in a preliminary reading.

That first-quarter report set off alarm bells that the economy was going to fall into a recession. The decline, though, was largely driven by a huge surge in imports as businesses rushed to get ahead of Trump’s tariffs. The bounceback in the second quarter reflected a reversal of that trend.