According to credit card and electronic payment specialist Visa, American card holders spent AED 3 billion in the United Arab Emirates last year, while UAE residents added AED 961 million to the US economy during their travels.

“Travel and tourism are key revenue streams for Visa and it is important for us to understand the travel habits of our card holders,” said Visa Inc, Middle East and North Africa GM Kamran Seddiqi.

“In turn, this allows us to continue to offer value added travel rewards to our card holders and enhance the experience, convenience and security of traveling with a Visa card.”

The AED 2.7 billion that US holidaymakers contributed to UAE tourism revenues in 2008 was up 85% on 2007 spending, with the average price of a purchase for Americans in the UAE around US $140.

In turn, Emiratis charged $262 million to their Visa cards while visiting the US in 2008, up 49%.

“Despite a challenging economic environment, international tourism remains resilient,” concluded Tourism Outlook: USA – a report from Visa Inc.

source: http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/article-5558-yanks-spend-more-in-the-uae/