WASHINGTON — Maryland’s tourism industry brought in more visitors who spent more money and generated more than $2 billion in state and local taxes in 2015.

The Maryland Office of Tourism Development says visitors spent $17 billion in Maryland in 2015, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier. About 40.5 million out-of-state tourists visited the state in 2015, a 6 percent increase.

That’s 1 percent more than the growth of national tourism in 2015.

The tourism office says about 60 percent of visitor spending goes toward food and beverage, lodging and transportation. Those areas generated $2.3 billion in tax revenue.

More than 143,000 people are employed by Maryland’s tourism industry, making it the 10th largest private sector employer in the state with a $5.7 billion payroll.