Houston tourists spending on the rise

HOUSTON – When visitors come to Houston, they spend big money, according to the latest figures from the Texas Office of Economic Development and Tourism.

Visitors to the Houston metro area spent $16.2 billion in 2013, up from $15.5 billion in 2012, beating traveler money flows for all other covered metro areas in Texas including Dallas and Austin.

The Texas Office of Economic Development and Tourism reports that the travel and tourism industry housed more than 128,000 jobs in 2013, a 4.5 percent increase over 2012.

Travelers spent $2.4 billion on accommodations last year, up 14 percent from 2012. Visitors spent $2.6 billion in restaurant and food services, and $3.5 billion on local transportation and gasoline.

Houston was the 12th top travel destination, according to Canada-based tourism strategy development Resonance Consultancy Ltd.

The Houston Airport System showed an increase in international traffic of 2.5 percent to nearly 9 million passengers, a record for the city.

The U.S. Commerce Department reported that Houston saw a 22 percent increase in international visitors last year, the largest increase in the United States.