Business travel in 2012 provided $491 billion in contribution to the U.S. gross domestic product,

representing 3 percent of GDP, according to a Global Business Travel Association report released Wednesday. That contribution supported 7.1 million jobs and generated $118 billion in federal, state and local taxes, according to GBTA. Of the $491 billion, $208 billion accrued directly to businesses that served travelers or meeting attendees. GBTA also reported that U.S. domestic business travelers in 2012 spent an average of $540 per trip, and those utilizing air travel as the primary mode of transportation spent an average of $1,100 per trip.