International visitors spent $13.8 billion in the U.S. in August

The nation’s tourism industry continued to thrive this summer, with international visitors spending $13.8 billion in August alone.

The spending total marks a 3% increase over the same month last year, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

August marks the eighth straight month that spending by international visitors has increased by at least $1 billion per month, compared with the same period in 2011, according to the federal agency.

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“Collectively, these visitors are spending record levels during their stay, which helps the U.S. travel and tourism industry employ more than 7.6 million Americans,” said Francisco J. Sanchez, undersecretary of commerce for international trade.

In the first eight months of the year, international visitors spent about $109.2 billion traveling to and from and visiting the U.S., an increase of more than 8% compared with the same period last year, the agency said.

By comparison, Americans spent nearly $80.1 billion abroad in the same period, resulting in a $29.1 billion balance of trade surplus.

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Follow Hugo Martin on Twitter at @hugomartin