Visitor spending in Hawaii hit $12.8 billion last year — and that number is expected to grow 6.4 percent to $13.6 billion this year. Add that optimism to news out today about tourism spending from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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International visitor spending in the United States reached a record-high $153 billion last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce said on Wednesday. 

Data shows that international and domestic tourism spending went up 8.1 percent in 2011, due in part to a surge in international visitors. A total of 62 million international tourists came to the U.S. last year — that’s 2.5 million more than in 2010. 

Commerce Secretary John Bryson said in a statement that the data tells the world that “America is open for business.”