travel planning statistics

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• Asia, Australia & New Zealand
• Europe, Middle East & Africa
• United States & Canada
• Latinoamérica

Global travelers plan to take more short getaways (≤3 nights) than longer vacations (>3 nights) in the next 12 months.

Google/Phocuswright, Travel Study 2017, base: Leisure Travelers: U.S. n=673, Brazil n=640, U.K. n=635, France n=480, Germany n=553, Australia n=617, India n=707, Japan n=462, S. Korea n=688, 2017.

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More than 160 million people have gone into their Google Accounts to review and adjust their privacy settings.

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of experience bookings are happening once travelers arrive at their destination.

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Search interest in the U.S. for “my activity,” where people can manage information saved to their Google Account has increased sixfold since 2016.

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Travelers who book their activities ahead of their trip spend 47% more on lodging and 81% more on transportation than those who wait to book in destination.

Travel search 02

In the 12 weeks leading up to a trip, there are 3X more experiences searches than hotel searches.

Travel search 03

In the 12 weeks leading up to a trip, 8X more experiences searches than air searches

Travel search 04

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Fact sheet: 2022 national travel and tourism strategy, office of public affairs.

The 2022 National Travel and Tourism Strategy was released on June 6, 2022, by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo on behalf of the Tourism Policy Council (TPC). The new strategy focuses the full efforts of the federal government to promote the United States as a premier destination grounded in the breadth and diversity of our communities, and to foster a sector that drives economic growth, creates good jobs, and bolsters conservation and sustainability. Drawing on engagement and capabilities from across the federal government, the strategy aims to support broad-based economic growth in travel and tourism across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia.

The federal government will work to implement the strategy under the leadership of the TPC and in partnership with the private sector, aiming toward an ambitious five-year goal of increasing American jobs by attracting and welcoming 90 million international visitors, who we estimate will spend $279 billion, annually by 2027.

The new National Travel and Tourism Strategy supports growth and competitiveness for an industry that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, generated $1.9 trillion in economic output and supported 9.5 million American jobs. Also, in 2019, nearly 80 million international travelers visited the United States and contributed nearly $240 billion to the U.S. economy, making the United States the global leader in revenue from international travel and tourism. As the top services export for the United States that year, travel and tourism generated a $53.4 billion trade surplus and supported 1 million jobs in the United States.

The strategy follows a four-point approach:

• Promoting the United States as a Travel Destination Goal : Leverage existing programs and assets to promote the United States to international visitors and broaden marketing efforts to encourage visitation to underserved communities.
• Facilitating Travel to and Within the United States Goal : Reduce barriers to trade in travel services and make it safer and more efficient for visitors to enter and travel within the United States.
• Ensuring Diverse, Inclusive, and Accessible Tourism Experiences Goal : Extend the benefits of travel and tourism by supporting the development of diverse tourism products, focusing on under-served communities and populations. Address the financial and workplace needs of travel and tourism businesses, supporting destination communities as they grow their tourism economies. Deliver world-class experiences and customer service at federal lands and waters that showcase the nation’s assets while protecting them for future generations.
• Fostering Resilient and Sustainable Travel and Tourism Goal : Reduce travel and tourism’s contributions to climate change and build a travel and tourism sector that is resilient to natural disasters, public health threats, and the impacts of climate change. Build a sustainable sector that integrates protecting natural resources, supporting the tourism economy, and ensuring equitable development.

Travel and Tourism Fast Facts

• The travel and tourism industry supported 9.5 million American jobs through $1.9 trillion of economic activity in 2019. In fact, 1 in every 20 jobs in the United States was either directly or indirectly supported by travel and tourism. These jobs can be found in industries like lodging, food services, arts, entertainment, recreation, transportation, and education.
• Travel and tourism was the top services export for the United States in 2019, generating a $53.4 billion trade surplus.
• The travel and tourism industry was one of the U.S. business sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent health and travel restrictions, with travel exports decreasing nearly 65% from 2019 to 2020. 
• The decline in travel and tourism contributed heavily to unemployment; leisure and hospitality lost 8.2 million jobs between February and April 2020 alone, accounting for 37% of the decline in overall nonfarm employment during that time. 
• By 2021, the rollout of vaccines and lifting of international and domestic restrictions allowed travel and tourism to begin its recovery. International arrivals to the United States grew to 22.1 million in 2021, up from 19.2 million in 2020. Spending by international visitors also grew, reaching $81.0 billion, or 34 percent of 2019’s total.

More about the Tourism Policy Council and the 2022 National Travel and Tourism Strategy

Created by Congress and chaired by Secretary Raimondo, the Tourism Policy Council (TPC) is the interagency council charged with coordinating national policies and programs relating to travel and tourism. At the direction of Secretary Raimondo, the TPC created a new five-year strategy to focus U.S. government efforts in support of the travel and tourism sector which has been deeply and disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the full strategy here

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The UN Tourism Data Dashboard – provides statistics and insights on key indicators for inbound and outbound tourism at the global, regional and national levels. Data covers tourist arrivals, tourism share of exports and contribution to GDP, source markets, seasonality and accommodation (data on number of rooms, guest and nights)

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International Tourism and COVID-19

• The pandemic generated a loss of 2.6 billion international arrivals in 2020, 2021 and 2022 combined
• Export revenues from international tourism dropped 62% in 2020 and 59% in 2021, versus 2019 (real terms) and then rebounded in 2022, remaining 34% below pre-pandemic levels.
• The total loss in export revenues from tourism amounts to USD 2.6 trillion for that three-year period.
• International tourist arrivals reached 88% of pre-pandemic levels in January-December 2023

COVID-19: Measures to Support Travel and Tourism

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Travel’s Theme for 2022? ‘Go Big’

With Omicron cases ebbing, the industry is looking for a significant rebound in spring and summer. Here’s what to expect, in the air, at the rental car counter and beyond.

By The New York Times

As governments across the world loosen coronavirus restrictions and shift their approach to accepting Covid-19 as a manageable part of everyday life, the travel industry is growing hopeful that this will be the year that travel comes roaring back.

Travel agents and operators have reported a significant increase in bookings in recent weeks for the upcoming spring and summer seasons. The World Travel & Tourism Council (W.T.T.C.), which represents the global travel and tourism industry, projects that travel and tourism in the United States will reach prepandemic levels in 2022, contributing nearly $2 trillion to the U.S. economy. The council also anticipates outbound travel from the United States will increase; it projects bookings over the Easter holiday period to be up by 130 percent over last year.

“Our latest forecast shows the recovery significantly picking up this year as infection rates subside and travelers continue benefiting from the protection offered by the vaccine and boosters,” said Julia Simpson, the president and chief executive officer of the W.T.T.C. “As travel restrictions ease and consumer confidence returns, we expect a welcome release of pent-up travel and demand.”

While uncertainty remains over the course of the pandemic and government policies on mask mandates and testing requirements for travel, the industry is seeing a strong desire among travelers to take big bucket list trips this year, particularly to far-flung international destinations and European cities.

“Travel is no longer just about ‘going somewhere,’” said Christie Hudson, a senior public relations manager for Expedia. “Coming out of such a long period of constraints and limitations, 2022 will be the year we wring every bit of richness and meaning out of our experiences.”

Here are some of the trends you can expect to see.

Air Travel: Fewer restrictions, but for now the masks stay on

Flying in 2022 looks poised to be much like flying in 2021: reminiscent of prepandemic normal at times, infuriating at others. A primary difference is that there will be more people on planes and in airports — 150 percent as many passengers are expected to fly this year as did last year, according to The International Air Transport Association , which represents nearly 300 airlines.

In terms of where you can fly, you’ll have more options than last year. Destinations that have long been closed to most travelers, including Australia, the Philippines and Bali, have started reopening. Airlines have been gradually adding back old routes and expanding with new ones. In the spring, American Airlines, for example, plans to add six new routes from Boston. JetBlue will soon fly direct from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Kansas City and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, among other locations.

You’ll still need to check the latest entry requirements before flying internationally. There are currently more than 100,000 health and travel restrictions in place, according to Meghan Benton , a research director at the Migration Policy Institute, which tracks them. Though that’s around the same number as a year ago, she noted, there has been a move away from quarantines and outright bans of nonessential visitors toward vaccination and testing requirements. Recently, a growing number of destinations, including Britain, have also reconsidered the merits of entry testing.

That flight for a summer getaway could cost less than it did before the pandemic. Fares are down 18 percent from 2019, according to Airlines for America, which represents seven major airlines. In January, the cost of international airfares purchased hit an all-time low since Hopper, a booking app, began tracking them in 2014. Predicting whether, when and where they will rise is harder than it was before the pandemic, however, as new variants, evolving health threats, travel restrictions and pandemic psychology have upended traditional pricing patterns. Fortunately, most airlines are continuing to waive flight change fees on all but basic economy flights, said Brett Snyder, the founder of Cranky Flier , an airline industry site.

When flying in the United States, everyone will need to wear a mask until at least late March. That’s when the federal mask mandate is set to expire. It has been extended before and could be extended again. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s chief medical adviser, is among those who have said that masks on planes should be here to stay. Gary Leff, who writes about air travel for View from the Wing, a site focused on air travel, said he agrees with the betting markets , which predict that the mask mandate will go away by the November midterm elections. Regardless, there will be more alcohol in the air. On Feb. 16, Southwest will serve drinks for the first time in two years. — Heather Murphy

Lodging: Hotels fight back, sometimes with robots

This may be the year travelers return to hotels. In a report for the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Oxford Economics, an economic forecasting company, expects total bookings to nearly equal 2019 stays, though a significant source of revenue — more than roughly $48 billion spent before the pandemic on food and drink, meeting spaces and more — will largely remain missing, given the continued slump in business meetings and group events.

Leisure travelers have kept the industry afloat and in certain areas — especially mountain and coastal destinations — vacation business is booming. With record demand, rates rose at escapist resorts like the Chebeague Island Inn in Maine even in the traditional off-season months.

Now, corporate lodging specialists like Level Hotels & Furnished Suites , which has high-rise apartments in four cities including Seattle, are going after leisure travelers, touting amenities like fitness centers. And why not? During the pandemic, many travelers discovered the privacy offered by rental residences. According to AirDNA , which analyzes the short-term rental market, vacation home bookings were up between 30 and 60 percent in small cities and resort destinations compared to 2019, though big-city rentals are down about 25 percent.

Urban hotels hope to compete for digital nomads by adding stylish extended-stay properties, social attractions and better work spaces. Denver’s Catbird hotel offers ergonomic studios with kitchenettes, plus a rooftop bar and rental gear, including scooters, ukuleles and air fryers. The Hoxton chain’s Working From co-working spaces are attached to its hotels in Chicago and London.

Adapting to lean times, many hotels have outsourced operations beyond laundry and landscaping, into food and recreational services. The new app-based service Breeze works with hotels to provide room service either from on-site restaurants or neighboring ones.

The pandemic has also hastened the adoption of automation in hotels — such as keyless check-in, digital staff communication and room delivery by robots — as a cost-effective response to the labor shortage.

“High tech is the new high touch,” said Chekitan Dev, the Singapore Tourism Distinguished Professor of marketing and management at Cornell University’s hotel school.

Hotel sustainability initiatives look to go further than “towel-washing optional” offers.

Hilton plans to introduce what it says is the country’s first net-zero hotel this year with the solar-powered Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection in New Haven, Conn. SCP Hotels , which operates seven hotels around the country, aims to go zero-waste in 2022.

The industry’s focus on leisure travelers may inspire new diversions. A hotel that can no longer afford to employ 50 servers in its events department might use the space to hold a yoga class or a talk by a local designer, according to Vikram Singh, an independent hotel consultant. “These are the experiences people remember more than whether the pillow was soft,” he said. — Elaine Glusac

Rental Cars: Still pricey, and hard to get

This time last year, Jonathan Weinberg, the founder and chief executive of AutoSlash , an online service that makes and tracks discount car rentals, noticed that rental vehicles were unexpectedly scarce and overpriced for the mid-February Presidents’ Day break, an early indication of the post-vaccine travel rebound.

In 2022, it’s looking worse. A Feb. 1 search in Phoenix for the upcoming holiday weekend showed all the major car rental companies were sold out and just two smaller agencies, Sixt and Nu, had cars, starting at $130 a day, more than twice what they might have been prepandemic.

“Even last year, we didn’t see inventory this tight until a week or so out,” Mr. Weinberg said.

It’s possible that consumers have heeded the advice to book cars early after last year’s shortages. But rental agencies still haven’t been able to expand their fleets — thanks largely to slowdowns in automotive manufacturing — and the anticipated return of travel after Omicron suggests more car trouble ahead.

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to improve at all in the next year,” said Mike Taylor, the senior travel analyst at J.D. Power, a market research company, noting that in addition to higher prices, renters may be getting older cars with high mileage.

According to the travel search engine Kayak , rental car rates last summer peaked in July at a national average of $119 a day. Currently, the national average is about $66, or 27 percent higher than last year at this time, and a 41 percent increase over 2019 for the same period. Searches have more than doubled compared to this time last year.

“Road-tripping is a more predictable way of travel these days, where you can avoid crowds and unexpected delays,” said Matt Clarke, the vice president of North American marketing for Kayak, which recently added search results from companies like Kyte , a car rental company that delivers cars to consumers, and Turo , a car-sharing site.

Such alternatives may have benefited from the rental car crunch. In the first nine months of 2021, revenue at Turo grew more than 200 percent, compared to the same period in 2020, according to a recent filing to go public.

“For many travelers, Turo was the least crazy option from a price standpoint,” said Turo’s chief executive Andre Haddad.

For now, car-sharing sites are better bets for finding electric vehicles, although Hertz announced in the fall that it would have 100,000 E. V.s by the end of this year. At Turo, E.V. listings have grown from about 200 in 2014 to more than 27,000 in 2021.

“We’re already seeing activity for March and April, and that is not normal,” said Ryan Hagler, a Maui resident who uses Turo to rent 10 vehicles, including six Teslas, which start around $80 a day. “I’m assuming it’s going to be pretty busy this year.” — Elaine Glusac

Destinations: Cities are back

This March, Virginia Devlin of Chicago is headed to New York City with her daughter, a musical theater student, to celebrate two years’ worth of missed birthday trips. They’ll see Broadway shows and visit Chinatown for dim sum. Tracy Lippes, of Short Hills, N.J., is ready to go to Paris. “I can’t wait to stay in a beautiful hotel, shop, visit museums and eat at great restaurants,” Ms. Lippes said of her March trip. Greg Siskind, an immigration attorney in Memphis, is thrilled to have an in-person conference in London next month, and plans to arrive a few days early to enjoy the city with his adult daughters.

Yes, city travel is back. After more than two years of avoiding urban centers, travelers are eager to return to their favorite metropolis and swan dive into the sights, bites and sounds of a city that is not their own.

“It was a lift to everyone when the U.K. dumped Covid mandates on Jan. 26,” said Henley Vazquez, a co-founder of FORA, a travel agency in New York City . “Bookings are spiking for classic European destinations, particularly Paris and London. Clients want to reconnect with special hotels and restaurants and simply bask in the culture.”

In the United States, Shawna Owen, the president of Huffman Travel , a Chicago-based agency that specializes in luxury and family travel, is planning long weekend trips to New York City. “New York is buzzing again and clients are excited to dine at hot spots and enjoy the city’s dynamism.”

Underscoring the New York-is-back trend, the travel booking site Skyscanner reports that New York City is its top booked domestic destination so far in 2022 and the online travel agency Expedia has had a 13 percent increase in searches for New York City.

As for Europe, Paris and London are the top searched international destinations on Scott’s Cheap Flights , a service that tracks flight deals. Hotel searches on Expedia jumped 62 percent for London and 51 percent for Paris since Jan. 1, and the mobile app Hopper reports that London and Paris clock in as two of the most searched international destinations for spring 2022.

With restrictions easing, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts reported an 80 percent increase in its bookings in Paris, London and New York from December to Jan. 16.

In London, the luxury travel outfit, Noteworthy , has seen bookings of its private tours to iconic British sites increase 145 percent in February over the same time in 2021. “ The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee has definitely been a tourist draw,” said Nicola Butler, the company’s owner and managing director. — Amy Tara Koch

Resorts: All-inclusives, beyond the beach

A new breed of domestic resort is pioneering an almost all-inclusive model, taking the guesswork out of where to eat and what to do. Why “almost?” These properties don’t include alcoholic beverages in their nightly rate, and, perhaps fittingly, boast enviable wine and spirits collections. A major catalyst for the trend: pandemic-scarred travelers wary of leaving the grounds of a resort once they arrive, according to Erina Pindar, the managing director of SmartFlyer , a luxury travel agency. “The almost all-inclusive is incredibly popular,” she said, “we expect demand to continue to be strong.”

Hotels.com reports that searches for this type of resort have increased significantly compared with the same time frame in 2019. “After the stress of the last few years,” said Mel Dohmen, a Hotels.com spokeswoman, “travelers are looking for stays where they can be doted on.”

“Our clients see these resorts as a hassle-free option,” said Jennifer Doncsecz, president of the travel agency V.I.P. Vacations .

The San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, Calif., long beloved by luminaries like Winston Churchill and Vivien Leigh, pivoted to an almost-all inclusive model in 2020. In addition to folding the cost of meals into the nightly rate, which starts at $2,495, it did away with extraneous charges like resort fees and parking. “We figured, with all the charges we’ve gotten rid of, what are people going to spend money on? Wine,” said Ian Williams, the Ranch’s general manager. “We’ve had no complaints. This past year has been our busiest ever.”

Given the complications caused by the pandemic, Mr. Williams and his team sought to streamline the travel process. “We want guests to check out and spend their trip home talking about what an amazing vacation they had,” he said, “not some miscellaneous charge on their bill.”

Beachside buffets and watered down margaritas might rule at the traditional all-inclusive; not at the Ranch. “Every guest, if they want the Wagyu for dinner, fine,” said Mr. Williams. “Caviar? Great. Maine lobster? No problem.”

When High Hampton , a Cashiers, N.C., resort that dates back to 1933, remodeled in 2020, it folded breakfast and dinner into its nightly rate, which starts at $595, “because it removes that pressure of where to dine next,” said Scott Greene, the resort’s general manager. (The amber-lit, oak-paneled dining room is always the right answer.)

The same logic has long been in place at Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain , two resorts in Walland, Tenn. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the nightly rate — $845 and up at the Farm, $1,395 and up at the Mountain —- along with all the snacks in the minibar. “We’re exceeding prepandemic occupancy,” said Matt Alexander, Blackberry’s president. SmartFlyer saw a 327-percent increase in revenue from bookings at the two properties in 2021 as compared to 2019. — Sheila Yasmin Marikar

Wellness: Sexual healing

Sexual wellness is one of the fastest growing corners of the global wellness industry, with travel increasingly part of the experience. More hotel brands and relationship therapists are offering couples retreats and beachfront sessions with intimacy coaches and guided anatomical explorations to meet the needs of travelers seeking greater couple satisfaction and personal pleasure.

“People still have stigma around couples therapy and coming to therapy, but nobody ever had a problem going on vacation,” said Marissa Nelson, a sex therapist who runs retreats in Barbados, Hawaii, St. Lucia and Washington, D.C., through her company IntimacyMoons (seven days in St. Lucia starts at $7,500). She also offers virtual sessions; even when retreats were shut down in 2020, she noticed couples were traveling — to Airbnbs or on road trips — before logging on to work with her.

Travel is a powerful tool for unlocking intimacy, said Shlomo Slatkin, a rabbi and certified relationship therapist. His company, The Marriage Restoration Project , focuses on married couples. In the past year, in response to a growing demand to combine therapy and travel, he has introduced his first destination retreats — which cost between $4,000 and $5,000 and take place in Costa Rica, Mexico and Miami.

“Going away is really powerful, because changing the relationship requires a paradigm shift,” he said. “The lockdowns brought out a lot of maintenance issues in relationships that need to be addressed.”

Tara Skubella, a tantric guide, works with both couples and single women. Tantra, a spiritual philosophy with roots in medieval India, includes practices like tantric sex, and Ms. Skubella offers services, including chakra work, which focuses on energy points in the body. Her retreats in Costa Rica and Colorado (starting at $499) have been mostly sold out since 2020, she said.

“It seems very aligned to Covid and breaking out of isolation,” she said. “Society is realizing tantra isn’t only about sex, but about inner connection and healing.”

In March, the hotelier St. Regis will launch a retreat with the sex coach Bibi Brzozka on intimacy, conscious sexuality and emotional awareness at the St. Regis Punta Mita Resort in Mexico ($2,680). In April, Six Senses Ibiza will host Pleasure Principles — Journey of Women’s Sexual Wellness , a six-night stay focusing on female sexual empowerment ($4,500). They are the first sexuality-focused retreats for both brands. — Debra Kamin

Family Travel: Going on the edu-vacation

After two years of quarantines and classroom closures, millions of children across the country have fallen behind in class . And parents, eager for lesson plans that can supplement learning, are now seeking experiences with an educational bent when they travel.

“Previously, families didn’t ask in advance about what educational activities are available at the resorts. Now they do,” said Chitra Stern, founder and chief executive of the family-friendly Martinhal resorts in Portugal. Nearly half of her new bookings, Ms. Stern said, now include questions about on-site educational opportunities for children. Last year, the luxury resorts began partnering with the United Lisbon International School to offer a two-week educational summer camp for its younger guests at Martinhal Lisbon. Courses, which are available for children ages 3 to 17, begin at 440 euros (around $500).

After a pandemic dip, enrollments are on the rise for family-learning itineraries with the tour operator Road Scholar , which produces educational travel programs for all ages. Options for children and their caregivers, which start at $699 per adult and $449 per child, include combining history and geography with spotting grizzlies in the Canadian Rockies , or learning French while taking a scavenger hunt through Paris’s Louvre .

And noting an uptick in children road tripping with their parents, the Colorado Tourism Office last summer launched Schoolcations , a series of free itineraries based on Colorado road trips and designed for grades K-5.

There are also more opportunities to learn back at the hotel. Family Coppola Hideaways — a group of retreats owned by the film director Francis Ford Coppola — now offers the Coppola Curriculum at its properties in Belize and Guatemala. Half-day lessons cost $150 per day for children and include courses in science (like counting bird species) and art (like local textile looming). In Florida, Isla Bella Beach Resort and Oceans Edge Resort & Marina now partner with Marine Science Camp for classes with marine scientists, geared to elementary school children (free for hotel guests). In California, attendance at the Artisans in Residence program at Carmel Valley Ranch — taught in the apiary, organic garden and goat creamery, and starting at $85 for adults and $65 for children — has doubled.

For some, a desire for extra credit also means going for an extra splurge. At the luxury travel agency Black Tomato , bucket-list family travel now accounts for 55 percent of bookings, with the majority of requests falling into what the company defines as BFG travel: Big Family Get-Togethers. So the company has rolled out a family-focused education track, Field Trip , which begins at around $5,800 per person; courses include a physics lesson at the CERN laboratory in Switzerland and a social studies-focused hike through Bhutan’s Gangtey Valley to meet a revered monk.

“Thematically, for 2022 family bookings, it’s all about intrepid adventure mixed with cultural immersion, ecological outdoor experiences, intrepid luxury hotels and even pop-up glamping setups — definitely bucket-list and remote,” said Tom Marchant, Black Tomato’s owner and co-founder. — Debra Kamin

Cruises: Smaller boats and luxury destinations

After two years of devastating losses and a tentative restart last June, the cruise industry has faced a challenging start to 2022, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus caused cases to surge onboard ships, forcing some cruise lines to cancel voyages and change itineraries.

But demand for future cruises is still high, especially among dedicated cruise fans. A recent survey on cruiser sentiment by the online review site Cruise Critic found that 52 percent of the 6,400 cruisers surveyed were currently looking to book a cruise, with 40 percent hoping to set sail in the next six months.

A 2022 report on the outlook for the industry, published in January by the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s trade group, highlighted how major companies are bouncing back from the pandemic despite recent hurdles.

More than 75 percent of CLIA member ships have returned to service, with 100 percent expected to restart operations by August 2022. Additionally, 16 new cruise ships from major lines like Carnival, MSC, Royal Caribbean and Disney will launch in 2022.

One of the biggest cruise trends for 2022 is luxury expedition voyages, appealing to a growing number of travelers throughout the pandemic because they typically sail on smaller ships and steer away from crowded destinations.

“The itineraries vary pretty significantly from those of the larger, more mainstream lines,” said Colleen McDaniel, the editor in chief of Cruise Critic. “Due to their size, luxury ships are able to sail to more remote destinations — so even if you’re sailing in the Caribbean, your ports of call will likely be further removed from the masses, and likely somewhere you might have never been before.”

Smaller river and expedition cruises are also expected to become more popular this year as cruisers seek out big bucket-list destinations and more sustainable ways to travel. Responding to the demand, Hurtigruten, a Norwegian line that specializes in expedition cruises, has added new itineraries to its Galápagos Islands excursions, offering a range of small-ship carbon-neutral expedition sailings that will cover the full span of the remote 19-island archipelago.

“A very positive trend we’ve seen throughout the pandemic is that travelers are increasingly eco-conscious; meaning they do their homework on brands, including cruise ships, to make sure they align with their personal values.” said Daniel Skjeldam, the chief executive of Hurtigruten Group.

The company is also expanding its grand expedition cruise program, offering three unique cruises from the North to South Pole after the success of two similar sold-out sailings scheduled for the fall. The itineraries include destinations like Alaska, Iceland, Greenland, the Northwest Passage sea route, South America and Antarctica.

“After having been isolated for two years, people really want to do something they really can look forward to,” Mr. Skjeldam said. “Something perhaps more active and interesting than their normal prepandemic holiday.” — Ceylan Yeginsu

52 Places for a Changed World

The 2022 list highlights places around the globe where travelers can be part of the solution.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

An earlier version of this article mischaracterized Kyte, a car rental business. Kyte is a car rental company that delivers cars to consumers; it is not a car-sharing website.

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Report Overview

Skift Research has conducted an analysis of travel data provided by multiple government agencies and our own proprietary estimates to create a profile of the American leisure travel consumer that includes spending estimates and key stats that businesses need to understand.

We are able to answer questions like how many Americans travel and what does a typical American spend on travel in a given year? Further, we break the answer to these questions down by a number of important demographic factors such as income, education, family type, age, residential area, and race.

In this report, travel spending is grouped into four top-level categories (transportation, lodging, food and drink, and entertainment) as well as several subcategories which are contextualized relative to each other, relative to general year-round consumer spending, and as average household spends. Travel spending is also presented in a historical context with data spanning the time frame from 1997–2017.

This report closes with profiles of international trips taken by Americans. This includes frequency of international travel, trip planning tools used and timing, top overseas destinations and how they have changed over time, and preferred activities while in-destination.

Taken together, Skift Research aims to provide travel executives with the key statistics they can use to better understand, and ultimately to drive more business with, American consumers.

What You'll Learn From This Report

• The number of Americans who travel each year and how participation rates vary by demographics
• Detailed American consumer spending on travel in aggregate and per household, cross-tabbed by income, education, family type, age, residential area, and race
• Travel spending broken down by categories. Top-level groupings are transportation, lodging, food and drink, and entertainment
• Historical time series data on travel spending from 1996–2017
• Profiles of overseas trips taken by Americans including frequency of travel, trip planning process and timing, overseas destinations, and in-destination activities

Key Takeaways on American Travelers

• Travel participation skews towards wealthy, educated: We estimate that 56% of American households traveled in 2017, slightly below estimates from other sources. We believe that this reflects the broader scope and the larger sample size of the survey that our analysis is primarily based on. Travel is, at the end of the day, still a privilege afforded to many of us by our incomes, education, and other factors. We should appreciate that and enjoy it as such.
• American consumers spend an average of $6,630 per household on travel in 2017: Overall the mean American household income is $63k a year, but those that traveled at least once in 2017 made, on average, $93k a year. Those that traveled spent about 8% of their overall annual expenses toward trips. On an individual basis, the average American traveler spend in 2017 was $2,618.
• Demographics matter for travel spend: Of households that make over $120,000, 91% travel and those that do spend an average of $9,060 on travel annually. Married couples with no children travel at a rate of 71% and spend an average of $8,144 per household. Single people are more hit or miss, only 44% travel, but those that do spend $4,346 per person; the highest per person spending rate of any other demographic studied.
• In aggregate, American consumers spent $480bn on travel in 2017: Transportation and Lodging account for 2/3 of those travel expenses. After getting these core logistics out of the way, American consumers would go on to spend $95bn on restaurants, cafes, and bars. In fact, 12% of all American consumer spending on restaurants and bars by Americans (including spend by those that do not travel) happens while traveling.
• 20+ years of American travel spending reveals shift to experiences over things: The Great Recession seems to have triggered a reprioritization of travel in the mind of the U.S. consumer. From 1997–2007, travel expenses were shrinking as a share of overall American budgets. It’s only in this most recent decade that we have seen travel grow as a share of wallet for the overall U.S. consumer. Effectively all of the real growth in travel spending above pre-recession levels has come since 2014.
• American international travel rapidly growing: Americans took 93 million international trips in 2018, part of a steadily growing preference for exploring abroad — international trips have grown from 60.7 million trips in 2012, a 7.4% compound annual growth.
• A lot of thought goes into planning long-haul vacations: Americans reported deciding to take their vacations 111 days in advance, on average, in 2017, up from 105 days in 2012. After deciding on which trip to take, most Americans then spend the next month planning and comparison shopping and book airline reservations 79 days in advance of departure.
• Americans getting outdoors more: A growing share of Americans abroad take guided tours and/or visit national parks. In exchange, we are seeing declines in those going nightclubbing and gambling. Taken together, these seem to suggest a shift in preference towards going outdoors more and away from “hedonistic” activities.

Profiles of American Travelers

How many Americans travel and what does a typical American traveler spend on travel in a given year?

To answer these questions, Skift Research has conducted a proprietary analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX), combined with other data sources, to generate estimates of travel expenditures and the rate of travel by U.S. households. The data is for 2017, the latest available year; however, we believe that many of the ratios and averages derived from this data can be applied in 2019.

We believe that incorporating CEX data paints a more accurate portrait of the U.S. traveler, given its scope and sample size — approximately 7,000 individuals each quarter (28,000+ unique individuals a year). That means we are working from a sample size an order of magnitude larger than most commercial surveys which typically encompass one to three thousand individuals. This helps insulate the CEX survey from the fallacy of the “ law of small numbers ” whereby laypeople and researchers alike draw overly confident conclusions from insufficiently large populations.

Another strength of incorporating CEX survey results is that interview responses are collected primarily by Census Bureau workers during personal home visits, supplemented by some telephone interviewing. In contrast, most commercial surveys are conducted by internet or phone polls (with internet polls growing significantly in popularity over recent years). While useful, these methods of polling may introduce unintentional biases, such as excluding those with lower income or education levels, the elderly, and rural populations, all of which are less likely to respond to internet polling.

We believe the utilization of CEX data gives us a more inclusive view into these easily overlooked corners of America and helps us to more accurately fit those Americans that travel and their trip expenditures in the broader context the country.

Importantly, the survey asks consumers to report only their direct expenses, so our analysis excludes trips directly paid for by a business or government, received as a gift, or funded by some other means. That makes our data a good proxy for American consumer spending on leisure travel but not business travel.

How Many Americans Travel Every Year?

So how Americans traveled in 2017? You may find that this is a surprisingly difficult question to answer.

Many data providers, including both private and governmental sources, only report the number of trips taken, not a count of how many unique Americans travel in a given year. We do not deny that trip volume is an important metric for travel businesses and we include information about it later on in this report. But it is skewed by a small pool of high-frequency travelers and hides a stark difference in travel participation rates (i.e. the percent of those in a certain demographic that traveled in a given year).

Our analysis indicates that 72 million households, containing 181 million Americans, spent money on travel in 2017, a participation rate of 56% of the total U.S. population.

This was a bit surprising to us at first, as it falls outside the conventional wisdom that pegs American travel participation rates at 60–80%. To wit, a 2017 Gallup poll of 1,000 persons which reported that 62% of adults took a vacation away from home in the past year, as well as the results of previous Skift Research travel consumer polls which show 70–80%+ participation.

It should also be considered that the CEX survey excludes indirect expenses, so the overall American travel participation rate, inclusive of business and government trips is likely higher. Also not counted in this figure are trips where no expenses are incurred. It is also possible that survey respondents are under-reporting their true incidence of travel and related travel expenses.

Nonetheless, we should seriously consider the possibility that the conventional wisdom, being based primarily on internet, and to a lesser extent phone, polling is systematically overcounting travelers.

For instance, the Census Bureau estimates that just over 80% of households have at least a broadband internet subscription. And while that is a clear majority, the few Americans that do not have internet access skew predominantly lower income, lower education levels, rural, and older. As our analysis below shows, those are all prime indicators of a below national average travel participation rate.

Exhibit 1: Participation in travel varies greatly within the U.S., 2017

If you are playing along at home and trying to picture how many Americans travel, it is likely that you are basing your estimate, subconsciously or not, off your family, friends, and colleagues. But how typical are they of the overall country, really? Just 1/3 of Americans have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher and half of households make under $60,000 a year. We suspect that the profile many of our readers hold in their heads skews closer to the upper-echelon of American households than they realize.

Travel is, at the end of the day, still a privilege afforded to many of us by our incomes, education, and other factors. We should appreciate that and enjoy it as such.

Aggregate U.S. Consumer Spending on Travel

Skift Research estimates that American consumers spent an aggregate of $480 billion on travel in 2017.

Our estimates represent direct spending by U.S. consumers on travel goods and services on both domestic and international trips. Importantly these figures exclude spending by business, governments, and non-residents. Direct U.S. consumer spending on travel is an important metric, but readers should be aware of these limitations. Further, our figures do not represent industry estimates as the U.S. travel industry also generates revenues from businesses, non-residents, and governments.

$480 billion is a top-level figure, but how exactly do those dollars get divided up? The figure below provides a detailed allocation of trip costs by category.

The single largest type of travel expense in the U.S. is transportation. Americans spent nearly $205bn on transportation for out-of-town trips in 2017, representing 43% of total travel expenditures. A majority of that is the cost of airfare, on which American consumers spend an estimated $110bn, a quarter of total trip costs (again, this excludes businesses and non-residents). Vehicle rentals are the next largest transportation-related expense for for consumers at approximately $37bn. Also, the American road trip appears to be alive as well, with gas and oil expenses from self-driven travel the third-most prominent transportation expense, at $27bn in total.

Exhibit 2: Allocation of Trip Costs by Expense Category, 2017

Naturally, lodging is also a major travel expense, coming in at an aggregate of $123bn spent by U.S. consumers in 2017. Along with transportation, the core logistics of how to get where you are going and where to stay once you get there account for 2/3 of all travel expenses. That means, most Americans devote the remaining 1/3 of their travel budgets to leisure.

The largest of these expenses is dining out, and American consumers spent $95bn in 2017 on restaurants, cafes, and bars while traveling, 20% of total trip expenses. The other leisure category is entertainment, which represented $43 billion of spend that year. This includes spending on tickets to shows, sporting events, and other recreational expenses.

Travel as a Share of American Household Spending

Certain expenses, like airfare and lodging, are by definition only incurred while traveling. But other expenses can pop up both while on a trip and in day-to-day life.

To understand how U.S. consumer spending on these items is budgeted towards travel in aggregate, we calculated the year-round amount that all Americans spend on certain categories and compared that figure to the amount spent on that same category while traveling for 2017. This gives us a travel ratio for each spending category, i.e., How much of any given expense’s annual budget is spent on travel. It should be noted that these travel ratios compare travel spending to spending within that category from all Americans in the U.S. economy, including those that do not travel.

For instance, 12% of cumulative Americans’ annual restaurant budget is spent while on a trip — even after including restaurant spending by consumers that did not travel. In sharp contrast to just 1% of their annual grocery budgets. Local transportation can be a major pain point with nearly a fifth of total U.S. household spending on taxis, buses, and subways being incurred while on a trip. This likely reflects the fact that most Americans have a car or regular commuter plan for daily travel, but need to splurge on taxis while on vacation.

Also notable is that a quarter of all U.S. consumption on tickets and other fee admissions to events happen while traveling. This is despite it having one of the smallest shares of total travel costs, just 8% of total trip expenses. This is partially because necessities like food, rent, and healthcare dominate American budgets. It likely also reflects an increased willingness to travel to ‘destination’ events for concerts, festivals, or sporting playoffs.

Exhibit 3: The Travel Ratio for Expenses Incurred on a Trip, 2017

Travel Spending per Household

U.S. households that traveled spent $6,630 on trips in 2017, budgeting about 7% of their income and 8% of their overall annual expenses toward trips.

U.S. households that traveled are wealthier on average than their non-traveling peers. Overall the mean American household income is $63k a year, but those that traveled at least once made, on average, $93k a year, 45% more.

The base unit for the analysis is the household, but it should be noted that both the broad U.S. household and the traveling household has an average of 2.5 members. This means that on an individual basis, the average travel spend in 2017 was $2,618.

Exhibit 4: Profile of the Average American Traveling Household, 2017

Travel Breakdown by Category

We further break this high-level average down into specific travel spending categories. Note that the figures below reflect averages only for households that reported a given expense. As not all households participated in every expense category, they will not sum up to total average.

The most expensive travel category for most is airfares. Households that flew spent an average of $3,839 on air tickets in 2017. That is followed by lodging, with American households spending an average of $3,037 on hotels, motels, and other places to stay in 2017.

Once in-destination Americans like to eat out, on average spending $1,482 per household at restaurants while traveling. Entertainment is the smallest category, but still notable at $1,319 per household.

Exhibit 5: Average Spending on Specific Travel Related Categories for U.S. Traveling Households, 2017

Travel Breakdown by Demographics

These nation-wide averages hide significant differences between consumers. To explore underlying trends, Skift Research broke down U.S. traveler spending by household demographics. We report out mean trip expenditures per household as well as per person to account for differences in household size. We also give a distribution of aggregate households and travel spending for each crosstab so as to better understand which types of individuals under- or over-index on travel spending.

Household income is probably the single most important predictor of travel spending and the cross-tab where we see the greatest range of possible household travel spending. Households making less than $30,000 a year dramatically under-index on travel spending. These households spent on average $4,882 on travel in 2017, 26% below the nation-wide average. Those making under $60,000 a year also under-indexed on travel spend, though to a lesser extent.

On the other hand, wealthier households, especially those making more than $120,000 a year significantly over-index on travel spending. They account for 40% of all U.S. consumer spending on travel while making up just 14% of households. At the upper end of this spectrum, households making $150,000+ have an average travel spend of $11,650, 76% above the national average.

Given the out-sized impact of affluent travelers, Skift Research conducts an annual survey digging into the details of this demographic’s travel habits. Please see our third annual, Affluent Traveler Trends , for more details.

Exhibit 6: Average Travel Spending for U.S. Traveling Households and Individuals by Income, 2017

Education is another important determinant of travel spending. This is unsurprising as an individual’s highest level of educational attainment is often linked to their incomes. Americans with a bachelor’s degree or higher accounting for the majority of consumer travel spending (63%) while making up 35% of the population.

Exhibit 7: Average Travel Spending for U.S. Traveling Households and Individuals by Education, 2017

Household Type

Family type matters a great deal in household spending on travel. It comes as no surprise to any parent that traveling with kids is expensive, and married couples with children spent $7,919 on average on travel. Despite making up 16% of households, these families control 23% of total travel spending.

Given the different household structures and family sizes at play here, it makes sense to adjust for household size when analyzing average spend. With that adjustment, single households (individuals who are unmarried and have no children) stand out: while they control a smaller absolute share of overall travel expenditures, they spend more on themselves on a per capita basis than any other household type.

Married couples without children split the difference here and appear to be a sweet spot for travel. Some of these families fall into the “DINKs” category — double income, no kids. They account for the greatest share of direct consumer travel spending out of any form of household in the U.S., controlling 36% of spend while making up 23% of the population landscape. Married families with no children spend slightly less per person than single folks do, but this seems mainly due to economies of scale — e.g., the ability to split a hotel room — than out of any impulse to scrimp.

Exhibit 8: Average Travel Spending for U.S. Traveling Households and Individuals by Family Type, 2017

Diving deeper into family travel, we look at how many children live at home and the impact they have on travel. As mentioned above, traveling with kids costs money, and household expenditure on travel per household grows alongside the number of children at home.

There is, however, a point of diminishing returns. And once a family grows to over five children, travel spending drops precipitously. At a certain point, it’s just too much work and too cost prohibitive for most of those families to travel extensively.

Adjusting for household size shows that households with no children to look after still spend the most per person. We believe that this is due to packaged deals and other scale savings that larger families can take advantage of, as well as to the additional disposable income that many of these no-kid families have to spend on travel.

Exhibit 9: Average Travel Spending for U.S. Traveling Households and Individuals by Number of Children, 2017

Americans aged 35–64 are, on average, the biggest travelers. These households spend the most on travel and over-index relative to their representation within the U.S. population. This makes sense as individuals within this age range are more likely to be at or near their peak earnings potential as well as more likely to be married and have a family — all of which are strong indicators of high travel spend as described above.

Younger Americans under the age of 34 spend below average amounts on travel as they are likely to be earlier in their careers and to make less money.

On the other end of the spectrum, older American’s 65+ spend near the top in terms of travel per household and the absolute highest for travel per person. But this group of Americans actually under-indexes in terms of aggregate travel expenses relative to their share of the population. In our view, this likely reflects the fact that while they may have the most money to spend per person, there are also many elderly households that face physical/medical or financial barriers to travel.

Exhibit 10: Average Travel Spending for U.S. Traveling Households and Individuals by Age, 2017

Residential Area

Cities are home to the biggest spenders on travel. American households located in counties with populations of 1.2mn or more account for nearly 2/3 of overall travel spending. Those from smaller statistical areas with 330k people or less, spend even less on travel than you would predict based on their share of U.S. households.

Exhibit 11: Average Travel Spending for U.S. Traveling Households and Individuals by Residential Area, 2017

The economic divide along racial lines is reflected in travel spending among U.S households. White Americans account for a majority of travel spending in the U.S. and over-index relative to their share of households. Asian Americans spend the most on both a per-household and per-person basis. Spending on travel by Black Americans is below the national average and under-indexes relative to their share of households.

Exhibit 12: Average Travel Spending for U.S. Traveling Households and Individuals by Race, 2017

Changes in U.S. Consumer Travel Spending Over Time

Skift Research was able to reconstruct American household spending on travel over time for the last 21 years. This long-dated time series is able to reveal a number of unique trends. American household spending on travel has grown from $242bn in 1996 to $480bn today, a 3.3% compound annual growth rate over the last 21 years.

Exhibit 13: Twenty-One Years of U.S. Consumer Spending on Travel

Perhaps most interesting is how travel spending has accelerated after the ‘08/’09 financial crisis. This becomes even more clear when we examine annual growth rates of travel expenses compared to total expenses.

For the 10-year time frame spanning from 1997–2007, travel expenses grew 3.4% a year on average, while overall U.S. spending grew 4.9% a year. This means that travel was shrinking as a share of overall American budgets during this period.

Then the Great Recession hit and, as expected, travel spending plummeted far faster than overall expenses. Travel is a discretionary item after all, that can be cut much sooner and easier than, say, rent. Travel spending fell -10% in 2009 while overall budgets were reduced by -2.7%.

But coming out of the Great Recession there seems to have been a reprioritization of travel in the mind of the U.S. consumer, in line with a broader shift towards favoring experiences over things. And from 2010–2017 American households have increased spending by 6.1% a year on average versus just 3.5% for total expenditures. It’s only in this most recent decade that we have seen travel grow as a share of wallet for the overall U.S. consumer.

Exhibit 14: Spending on Travel Growing Faster Than Overall American Expenditures Since the Financial Crisis, a Reversal of Prior Trend

This shift in consumer behavior can also be seen if we adjust for inflation, which has run around 2% a year for the last 20 years. After adjusting for this, U.S. consumer spending on travel was $377bn in 1996.

The most striking thing about this chart is that, after adjusting for purchasing power, real spending on travel decreased from 1996–2003.

Exhibit 15: Twenty-One Years of U.S. Consumer Spending on Travel in Real Terms

Trip spending grew in the 2004–2007 boom years, but was quickly undone by the financial crisis. Here, the post-recession travel bump becomes even more clear. Effectively all of the real growth in travel spending above pre-recession levels has come since 2014.

The recent past looms large in our minds. It’s a cognitive bias that many of us hold that gives greater priority to the present, but we should not be fooled into believing that the past has always been this good for the travel industry. It also means that we should not take our current good fortune for granted, and that the industry must work hard to maintain its performance.

American International Trip Profiles

The next sections turn to profiles of international trips (not unique travelers) taken by Americans, primarily leisure trips. The data is collected by the U.S. Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) based on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS — formerly DHS I-92) and the Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT). The data covers the time period from 2012–2018.

Frequency of International Travel

Americans took 93 million international trips in 2018, part of a steadily growing preference for exploring abroad — international trips have grown from 60.7 million trips in 2012, a 7.4% compound annual growth.

Canada and Mexico are still the most popular destinations, accounting for 55% of international trips in 2018, and of these three groupings (travel overseas, to Canada, and to Mexico) Mexico is the fastest growing destination.

Exhibit 16: U.S. Resident International Trips, Millions, 2012–2018

Mexico and Canada are worth splitting off from all other overseas destinations for two reasons. Firstly, these are the only two countries that the U.S. shares a land border with and the relatively short distance makes traveling to these two countries resemble domestic travel in some key areas. Secondly, they are two of the U.S.’s largest trading partners (in fact its top two largest export markets) and many U.S. businesses have complex supply chains that run through these nations.

Focusing on just non-Canada and non-Mexico international trips, what the NTTO refers to as overseas travel, lets us reduce some of this noise and better isolate leisure trips. 86% of overseas trips (which going forward will exclude Canada and Mexico) were for leisure purposes in 2017, the last year for which data is available, up from 81% in 2012.

Exhibit 17: U.S. Resident Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Trips by Purpose, Millions, 2012–2017

U.S. Overseas Leisure Trip Planning

A lot of thought goes into planning long-haul vacations. Americans reported deciding to take their vacations 111 days in advance, on average, in 2017, up from 105 days in 2012. After deciding on which trip to take, most Americans then spend the next month planning and comparison shopping. On average, they finally pull the trigger on booking an airline reservation for their trips 79 days in advance of departure. More than half (55%) will have booked some form of lodging in advance as well. A small, but notable, share of trips, 12% in 2017, were booked as prepaid packages.

Exhibit 18: U.S. Resident Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Leisure Trip Planning Characteristics, 2012 versus 2017

Part of the reason for such lengthy deliberation is that these are generally long trips. The average length of time spent outside of the U.S. on a leisure trip in 2017 was 15.6 days. More than half of international leisure trips were longer than 10 days.

While this is still quite lengthy, it is worth noting that the average trip length is declining, down from 16.9 days in 2012.

Exhibit 19: U.S. Resident Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Leisure Trip Length of Trip, 2012 versus 2017

The most common channel for booking air tickets when planning overseas leisure travel is direct with the airline. 41% of trips were booked this way in 2017, up from 38% in 2012. The next most popular channel is through internet booking services, also growing share to 35% of trips in 2017 from 31% in 2012.

The gain in the booking share of these two channels has come at the expense of traditional, offline travel agencies. Though still a popular method for booking air tickets, travel agencies saw their share of trips decline to 16% in 2017 from 23% in 2012.

Exhibit 20: U.S. Resident Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Means of Booking Leisure Airfare, 2012 versus 2017

Americans use a greater diversity of channels when booking lodging compared to airfare. Interestingly, the most popular channel in 2017 for lodging reservations was internet booking services, used in 21% of trips versus 20% booked direct.

Said another way, hotels have a 15 percentage point lower share of customers booking directly compared to airlines. This might help explain why online travel agencies are able to charge higher commissions on hotels versus airlines ; hotels find it harder to drive direct bookings and have a greater reliance on third parties.

Exhibit 21: U.S. Resident Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Means of Booking Leisure Lodging, 2012 versus 2017

Another noteworthy difference between leisure booking patterns for airlines versus lodging is regarding traditional travel agents. Offline travel agents are more than twice as prominent a channel for airfare as they are for lodging (16% vs. 7%). This speaks to the complicated, love-hate relationship that airlines have with the global distribution systems that connect them to a wide network of travel agents.

Most American travelers are planning these vacations for themselves; solo travel is the most popular type of overseas leisure trip. But its popularity is decreasing somewhat. The share of those traveling alone fell to 57% of trips in 2017 from 59% in 2012.

Exhibit 22: U.S. Resident Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Leisure Traveling Companions, 2012 versus 2017

Further, most have some previous experience planning international vacations. Just 7% of overseas trips in 2017 were taken by first time international travelers, up from 6.6% in 2012. In actuality, when it comes to overseas trips taken, the traveler had been on an average of 2.3 international trips within the past year.

Exhibit 23: U.S. Resident Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Repeat Leisure Travel, 2012 versus 2017

U.S. Overseas Leisure Destinations

Where do Americans travel on these overseas leisure trips?

The U.S.’s “special relationship” with the United Kingdom appears to be alive and well. It is the most popular overseas leisure destination for Americans, according to the NTTO, accounting for nearly 10% of all overseas (excluding Mexico and Canada) trips, representing 3.3 million visits. This is followed by a Caribbean stalwart, the Dominican Republic, the destination for 7.7% of U.S. leisure trips representing 2.5 million visits.

The full list of top 30 U.S. leisure destinations for 2017 is below, along with their market share and 2012 rank. Countries shaded in green saw a rank increase of five or more from 2012 through 2017. Conversely, countries shaded red saw a decline of five or more ranking positions.

Exhibit 24: U.S. Resident Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Leisure Travel Top Destinations, 2012 versus 2017

The fastest growing destinations for American overseas leisure travelers on a percent basis was Iceland, by a long shot. Trips to Iceland grew 613% between 2012 and 2017, a growth of 427 million new visits. It rose from being ranked at number 58 in overseas travel popularity in 2012 to 25 in 2017, the highest position increase of any country.

The next fastest growing was Portugal, up 165%. Other notable high-growth destinations were Nordic states Norway and Denmark, and Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cambodia.

Exhibit 25: Top 10 Growing Destinations for U.S. Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Leisure Travel, 2012–2017

On the other hand, some Middle Eastern nations have seen a decline and/or slow down in U.S. leisure visits. Turkey saw the largest percentage decline in visits with Saudi Arabia next, and Egypt elsewhere in the list.

Some Caribbean destinations have also taken a hit with the Bahamas showing the largest absolute decline in U.S. visitors, with a 184,000 fewer trips. Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago also saw some of the largest absolute declines in U.S. leisure visitation.

Exhibit 26: Top 10 Declining (or Slowest Growing) Destinations for U.S. Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Leisure Travel, 2012–2017

The average number of countries visited per trip was 1.3 in 2017. But this hides a divide. In fact, most trips, 83% of them, will only visit one country. But if a trip crosses borders, the itinerary tends to include more than two countries. These multi-country trips will visit, on average 2.8 nations.

Exhibit 27: U.S. Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Leisure Trip Countries Visited, 2012–2017

But that doesn’t mean Americans who stay in just one country are stationary during their vacations. Accounting for multiple stops within the same country, the average American visits 1.9 destinations on an overseas trip. 23% of American travelers visited at least two destinations, while a further 22% visited three or more.

Exhibit 28: U.S. Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Leisure Trip Destinations Visited, 2012–2017

American In-Destination Activities While Overseas

What do Americans do while on vacation?

The table below details the participation rate of 20 activities that Americans took part in while traveling overseas on leisure. The green shading indicates share gains of 2% or more from 2012 through 2017, while the red shading indicates a similar decrease.

Almost all of these trips — 84% of them in 2017 up from 81% in 2012 — involved sightseeing, the most popular activity for overseas tourists. Rapidly growing too are guided tours (40% of trips in 2017, up from 37% in 2012) and visits to national parks (33% from 30%).

Shopping remains the second most popular leisure activity for Americans by a long shot, but the trend is declining somewhat, falling to a 76% participation rate from 78%. Other notable declines include nightclubbing (23% from 27%), attending concerts/plays/musicals (to 12% from 15%), and gambling (to 7% from 10%).

Taken together, these trends seem to indicate a shift in preference away from indoor activities and towards outdoor activities, and away from “things” and towards experiences, ; it also suggests a decline in “hedonistic” activities such as drinking and betting.

Exhibit 29: Activities that U.S. Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Leisure Travelers Participated, % of Trips, 2012 versus 2017

In terms of getting around, the most common type of transportation used on overseas leisure trips was air travel (63% of trips) and private automobiles (40%). The table below has detailed results for share of trips using a given transportation type in both 2017 and 2012. Green shading indicates greatest share gain while red shading indicates greatest share decline.

Taxicabs remain popular, used on 27% of trips in 2017, though this transport method saw the largest share decline, down from 30% in 2012. Offsetting this was a gain in trips using rented automobiles, which rose to 14% in 2017 from 12% in 2012.

Light rail remains popular with American overseas travelers, used in just over a fifth of all trips. And 6% of American overseas leisure trips were cruises.

Exhibit 30: Transportation used by U.S. Overseas (ex-Canada & Mexico) Leisure Travelers, % of Trips, 2012 versus 2017

Travel and Tourism Statistics: The Ultimate Collection

Ray Bradbury – author of the space travel and colonization classic The Martian Chronicles – once wrote, “Half of the fun of travel is the aesthetic of lostness.”

What did Mr. Bradbury mean when he penned this now famous quote? We may never know.

Don’t get the wrong idea, of course. We get the part about travel being extra rewarding when people get far off the beaten path into places they didn't even know existed. (Duh.)

What civilization will always wonder is this. Did he mean “half” in the general sense, as in give or take a third? Or “half” in the 50% sense, where if he’d meant 51 percent, he’d have said 51 percent?

Whatever the math behind Ray’s statistical calculations, one thing we know for sure…

People looooooove to travel.

Families and individuals of all ages, sizes and incomes. To faraway lands. For weekend getaways. To pursue new business deals. With kids. Without kids. On planes, trains, automobiles, boats and buses.

Because our hard-earned PTO is usually spent on travel. Because lots of money AND emotional expectation are wrapped up in most of our travel purchase decisions.

So to better understand today’s traveler, we at Access have compiled what we believe is a comprehensive “ultimate collection” of statistics having to do with the travel and tourism industry. We've tried to make this list as relevant as possible, which means we combed through recent research from travel and tourism related sources.

Most of these stats are focused on Americans who travel – though other nationalities may creep into the mix from time to time. We've provided source links for each statistic. Sometimes you’ll find the data conflicts with other sources - so we’ll leave it up to you to decipher which is most accurate.

We'll keep this list updated regularly with the latest and greatest. If you know of a stat we're missing, or want your own research included in our collection, leave us a note in the comments. Enjoy!

• The Cost of Travel: How Much People Spend
• Demographics: A Profile of People Who Travel
• Destinations: Where People Go When They Travel

Reasons & Decisions: Why People Travel & How They Decide

• Activities: What People Do When They Travel

Other Travel Statistics

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• Airfare prices are up 9.6%
• Hotel prices are up 15.3%
• Car rental prices are up 51.4%
• Restaurant prices are up 24.2%
• Entertainment prices are up 18.2%
• Despite inflationary pressures, only 5% of travelers said they will or have already decreased their travel budget ( Insider Intelligence, 2023 )
• 34% of consumers say their personal financial situation has a negative impact on their willingness to travel ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 69% of travelers would spend more during a vacation if they knew it supported the local community ( American Express, 2023 )
• Nearly 25% of global travelers plan to travel more frugally in 2023 ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 38% of travelers cook their own food to cut down on vacation costs ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 84% of travelers plan to spend more on travel this year than in 2022 ( Hopper, 2023 )
• Travelers who fly midweek can save an average of $90 off domestic airfare and $140 on international airfare ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 56% of travelers plan to increase per person travel spending over 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year) ( The IRF, 2023 )
• 85% of travelers from North America and 73% from the rest of the world are most concerned about inflation and rising costs ( The IRF, 2023 )
• U.S. businesses expect their international share of travel costs will jump 33% in 2023 ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 1/3 of US businesses say they need to reduce travel per employee by more than 20% to meet their 2030 sustainability targets ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 71% of US businesses expect a full recovery in travel spend by the end of 2024 ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• US businesses expect to that 33% of their business travel budget will be on international trips (16% on trips to Europe, 10% to South America and 10% to Asia) ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• Higher travel prices is the number one factor slowing the return of business travel, followed by travel restrictions and reduced travel budgets ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 90% of businesses will reimburse for non-hotel accommodations, up from 50% in 2022 ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• To help control business travel spending, 59% of businesses are picking cheaper, alternative lodging, 58% are negotiating preferred rates, 56% are picking lower-cost flights and 45% are limiting travel frequency ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 49% of travelers will spend more on travel in 2023 because of missed vacations during the pandemic. 43% will maximize their experience and 33% will shop for items not available back home ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• The highest priority for most travelers financially is restaurants/dining experience (34%) followed by suitable accommodations (32%), all-inclusive accommodations (28%), travel insurance (27%) and purchasing souvenirs (25%) ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• Using deals, hacks and smartly-timed travel (63%)
• Planning further in advance (61%)
• Using discounts and loyalty programs (60%)
• Taking 2 longer vacations rather than more short ones (55%)
• Choosing off-season destinations or longer routes (53%)
• 69% of millennials use technology to help save money when traveling ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• When booking a hotel, 23% of travelers most value finding atypically low pricing, 21% value the ability to get a full refund on cancellations and 14% value enhanced and frequent cleaning methods most ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 60% of travelers say “getting the right price” is the most important feature of online travel booking sites ( Expedia, 2023 )
• A complimentary add-on (like free parking) (33%)
• A discount for booking in advance (33%)
• A discount for booking a package (32%)
• A discount for booking last minute (22%)
• A discount for booking a longer stay or trip (22%)
• A discount for booking through a mobile app (21%)
• A discount for a specific location (20%)
• A discount for being a member of the travel provider’s loyalty program (17%)
• 37% of travelers prioritize lowest cost when booking travel, 35% prioritize minimizing COVID-19 exposure ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 51% of consumers say inflation will impact their travel plans over the next 12 months ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 31% of travelers say their travel budget will be the same this year as it was last year, 43% have a larger budget this year ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 1 in 3 consumers are planning an upcoming business trip ( Expedia, 2023 )
• Americans are more willing to splurge on travel plans in 2022: 15% will upgrade rooms or flights, 16% will visit bucket-list destinations, 32% will splurge on the things that take a trip from good to great ( Expedia )
• Travelers age 18-34 are the most likely to go big on their next trip (80% compared to 56% of travelers over 50) ( Expedia )
• Gen X travelers are the most likely to splurge on a high-end restaurant (18%, compared to 16% overall) ( Expedia )
• In 2021, premium economy ticket prices were around 290% more expensive than economy tickets, compared to pre-pandemic when they were 430% more expensive ( Expedia )
• 68% of Americans are planning to go big on their next trip ( Expedia )
• 40% of US travelers are more willing than ever to splurge on their future travels ( Expedia )
• Global travel and tourism levels are projected to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2022, contributing nearly $2 trillion to the US economy ( WTTC )
• U.S. domestic travel & tourism spending is forecast to reach more than $1.1 trillion for the year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 11.3% ( WTTC )
• International traveler spending in the U.S. could reach $155 billion which is a growth of $113 billion, compared to 2020, though it would still be slightly below (14%) 2019 levels ( WTTC )
• Employment travel and tourism could surpass pre-pandemic levels, reaching nearly 16.8 million jobs, which is above pre-pandemic levels by almost 200,000 jobs ( WTTC )
• Airline losses from 2020-2022 could reach $200 billion ( IATA )
• After reducing costs in 2021 by 34%, expenses are expected to rise again in 2022 due to expanded operations and higher fuel prices, averaging only 15% lower than pre-pandemic levels ( IATA )
• Boomers plan to spend the most of any generation: at least $4,000 on travel in the next 12 months ( MMGY )
• With the rising price of fuel, domestic flight prices rose 36% in March 2022 from the beginning of the year to reach an average price of $300 ( Bloomberg )
• The 2022 travel price index rose 12%, mostly driven by a 44% increase in motor oil ( US Travel )
• The January 2022 travel price index was 11.6% higher than 2019 levels (on par with consumer prices overall) ( US Travel )
• In January 2022, travel spending declined to $79 billion, this is down from $92 billion in December and down 11% from January 2019 levels ( US Travel )
• 50% of travelers would not pay extra for plane fare that offers free cancellation, 17% would pay up to $20 more, 16% would pay $20-$49 more and 9% would pay $50-$99 more ( Morning Consult )
• 56% of travelers would not pay extra for plane fare from a company that prioritizes pandemic safety, 17% would pay up to $20 more, 13% would pay $20-$49 more and 9% would pay $50-$99 more ( Morning Consult )
• 51% of Americans who traveled in the spring of 2021 plan to spend more when they travel in 2022, 23% plan to spend significantly more ( Trip Advisor )
• Average spend per booking for US travelers in spring 2022 is up 87% year-over-year ( Trip Advisor )
• American travelers are spending 29% more on their average booking in 2022 than they did in 2019, this is despite staying an average of 3.7 days, down from 4.4 days in 2019 ( Trip Advisor )
• The economic contribution of global tourism in 2021 is estimated at $1.9 trillion, above the $1.6 trillion in 2020, but still below the $3.5 trillion in 2019 ( UNWTO )
• Global tourism spending is estimated to be $1,500 per trip in 2021, up from $1,300 in 2020 ( UNWTO )
• In 2020, international travelers spent $83 billion compared to $233 billion in 2019, a loss of 64% ( US Travel )
• In 2020, International travelers spent money on US goods and services ( US Travel ):
• Travel spending - $38.1 billion (compared to $139 billion in 2019)
• Passenger fares - $26.5 billion (compared to $40.1 billion in 2019)
• Education-related - $37.4 billion (compared to $44 billion in 2019)
• Health-related - $0.2 billion (compared to $1.2 billion in 2019)
• Border/seasonal workers - $7.6 billion (compared to $9.1 billion in 2019)
• US travel spending in 2020 totaled $680.3 billion ($642.2 billion domestic travel spending and $38.1 billion international spending) ( US Travel )
• US travel spending in 2019 totaled $1,172.6 billion ($993.5 billion domestic travel spending and $179.1 billion international spending) ( US Travel )
• In 2019 traveler spending totaled $1.1 trillion: $278.9B for food services, $242.3B for lodging, $210.8B for public transportation, $169.7B for auto transportation, $117.8B for recreation/amusement and $107.3B for retail ( US Travel Association )
• Direct spending on leisure travel by domestic and international travelers totaled $792.4 billion in 2019 ( US Travel Association )
• Direct spending on business travel by domestic and international travelers totaled $334.2 billion in 2019 ( US Travel Association )
• Travel and tourism was the second most-popular choice for discretionary spending ( Phocuswright )
• In 2019, domestic travel spending grew 4.4% (for leisure grew 5.1%, for business grew 2.8%) ( US Travel Association )
• The average booking cart is slightly above US$150 ( Tour Scanner )
• Millennials spent $4,400 (avg.) on travel in 2019, (Gen-Xers’ $5,400; Boomers’ $6,600) ( CNBC )
• Domestic travel expenditures industry breakdown for 2019 were: food services 25%, public transportation 20%, lodging 20%, auto transportation 17%, recreation/amusement 11%, retail 7% ( US Travel Association )
• On average, Americans plan to spend $737 on their upcoming trip. Gen Xers will spend more than other age groups, and parents of kids under 18 plan to shell out more than $1,000 ( Value Penguin )
• The average expense for a 4-night domestic vacation is $581 (or $144 per day): $224 for transportation, $150 for lodging, $155 for food/alcohol and $52 for entertainment ( Value Penguin )
• The average expense for a 12-night international trip is $3,251 (or $271 per day): $1,755 for transportation, $683 for lodging, $520 for food/alcohol and $293 or entertainment ( Value Penguin )
• Americans spend an average of $33 per day on food when on a domestic vacation, about 80% of which is spent in restaurants ( Value Penguin )
• Americans spend an average of $35 per day on food when on an international vacation, about 90% of which is spent in restaurants ( Value Penguin )
• 36% of travelers rated travel as an important spending priority ( Phocuswright )
• $1,036 billion was spent on traveling in 2017 ( US Travel Association )
• 2.7% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) attributed to travel and tourism ( US Travel Association )
• Business travel accounted for $317.2 billion in spending in 2017 ( US Travel Association )
• Leisure travel accounted for $718.4 billion in spending in 2017 ( US Travel Association )
• Americans spend $101.1 Billion on summer vacations ( Travel Agent Central )
• On average, Americans will spend $1,978 on summer vacations ( Allianz Travel Insurance )
• The average international trip for American travelers now costs $6,080 ( Squaremouth )
• Vacationing millennials (ages 18-34) spent, on average, $1,373 on summer vacations ( Allianz Travel Insurance )
• 56% of travelers aged 25-34, spend $500-$1500 for a one week trip, excluding airfare ( Solo Traveler )
• Baby Boomers (ages 55+) spent an average of $1,865 on summer vacations ( Allianz Travel Insurance )
• Baby Boomers plan on spending over $6,600 on their 2019 travel ( AARP )
• Generation X (ages 35-54) spent an average of $2,628 on summer vacations ( Allianz Travel Insurance )
• The typical traveler anticipates spending nearly $3,900 on vacations in 2018 ( Destination Analysts )
• On average, Americans in the South spent less on vacationing ($564 on domestic and $3,169 on international) compared to the Northeast, Midwest, and West ( Reward Expert )
• Baby Boomers expect to take 4-5 leisure trips next year, spending up to $6,395 on travel expenses - the same or more than they spend in 2017 ( AARP )
• Generation X will spend up to $5,434 on travel and millennials up to $6,802 in 2018 ( AARP )
• 26% of American domestic travel expenses go towards food services, 20% towards public transportation, 20% towards lodging, 17% towards auto transportation, 10% towards recreation/amusement and 7% towards retail ( US Travel Association )
• Travelers who book their activities ahead of their trip spend 47% more on lodging than those who wait to book ( Booking.com )
• Lodging costs are about 26% of total travel expenditures for domestic trips, and 21% for international trips ( Value Penguin )
• On average, excluding airfare, 30% travelers aged 55-64 spend $1500-$2500 on a one-week trip ( Solo Traveler )
• The average cost for American travelers to visit Norway is $9,754 ( Squaremouth )
• The average daily rate for hotels in the United States was $126.72 in 2017 ( Statista )
• Activities are the third largest segment of travel at $129 Billion ( Phocuswright )
• $220.4 million was spent on lodging in 2017 ( US Travel Association )
• $106.6 million was spent on recreation/amusement in 2017 ( US Travel Association )
• Food plus alcohol take up about 16% of the budget for an American’s international trips, and about 27% of their domestic trips ( Value Penguin )
• Transportation costs make up 54.3% of international trip expenditures and 39.1% on domestic trips ( Reward Expert )
• More than 25% of travel costs go toward food for domestic travel and 16.2% for international travel ( Reward Expert )
• 37% of travelers are very likely to splurge on food and drink experiences ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 4% of travelers are likely to splurge on first or business class air fare ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 27% of travelers are likely to spend more on events or festivals ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 12% of travelers are likely to splurge on guided tours ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• The typical vacationing U.S. family spends about 44% of their travel funds getting to, from, and around their destinations ( Value Penguin )
• Travelers who book their activities ahead of their trip spend 81% more on transportation than those who wait to book their destination ( Booking.com )
• The average traveler spends about 9% of their vacation budget on entertainment ( Value Penguin )
• 65.3% of Americans say that leisure travel is somewhat of a budget priority for them ( Destiantion Analysts )
• 47% of millennials say cost is a barrier for why they won’t travel ( AARP )
• Millennials are the most likely to go into debt for travel ( Travel Pulse )
• 83% of families will splurge on their travel destination when planning a vacation, 68% on paid attractions, 68% on staying close to their destination, 63% on eating out/food and 63% on the length of their trip ( NYU )
• 62% of families will skimp on souvenirs/shopping when planning a vacation ( NYU )
• 24% of solo travelers spend more than $1,500 for one week of vacation (excluding airfare) ( Solo Traveler World )
• Each overseas traveler spends approximately $4,200 when they visit the U.S. and stays on average 18 nights ( US Travel Association )
• Experience beats expense when it comes to family travel ( Expedia Group )
• Flying coach instead of business saved business travelers $2,975 on average per round-trip flight ( Rocketrip )
• Dropping a hotel star class saved business travelers $54 on average per night ( Rocketrip )
• 42% of Americans paid lodging costs for domestic travel vs. 60% for international travel, as domestic travelers often stay with family and friends ( Value Penguin )
• Staying with friends or family saved business travelers $234 on average per night ( Rocketrip )
• Staying at an Airbnb saved business travelers $110 on average per night ( Rocketrip )
• Taking an early-bird flight saved business travelers $66 on average per round-trip flight ( Rocketrip )
• Taking a low-cost carrier saved business travelers $281 on average per round-trip flight ( Rocketrip )
• Managers saved an average of 15% per trip, $572 per year and took an average of 5 trips per year ( Rocketrip )
• Directors saved an average of 12% per trip, $684 per year and took an average of 6 trips per year ( Rocketrip )
• Vice Presidents saved an average of 11% per trip, $651 per year and took an average of 6 trips per year ( Rocketrip )
• CXOs saved an average of 9% per trip, $1,081 per year, and took an average of 8 trips per year ( Rocketrip )
• 26% of Americans will use their rewards points or miles to fund their next vacation ( Value Penguin )
• Vacation spending is equal to about 2% of the total budgets of all U.S. households annually ( Value Penguin )

Traveler Demographics: A Profile of People Who Travel

• Of travelers who subscribe to travel related paid subscriptions, 62% are male and 38% are female ( Trip Advisor )
• Of American travelers who subscribe to a travel related paid subscription program, 11% are between the ages of 18-24, 26% are 25-34, 22% are 35-44 and 25% are 55+ ( Trip Advisor )
• Millennials are planning to take the most trips of any generation: an average of 4.4 trips in the next 12 months ( MMGY )
• 52% of active leisure travelers are members of at least one hotel loyalty program, and 48% have joined at least one airline loyalty program ( MMGY )
• Millennials are 11-percentage-points more likely to stay at a chain hotel than the general population ( Morning Consult )
• Travelers with an income of less than $50,000 are the least likely to say price is a top priority ( Morning Consult )
• 42% of US Adults who took more than 3 business trips per year pre-pandemic expect to never travel for business again, 14% expect to take a business trip after more than a year, 10% within 7-12 months, 13% within 4-6 months, 13% within 1-3 months and 7% in less than a month ( Morning Consult )
• More employed travelers anticipate taking a blended trip (combining business and leisure travel) in the next year: 40% with an even split between business and leisure, 40% blended primarily business and 44% blended primarily leisure. 41% of travelers anticipate taking a business only trip this year and 76% taking a leisure only trip ( Morning Consult )
• Millennials are the most likely to stay at a hotel in the next 3 months at 39%, followed by boomers (28%), Gen X (23%) and Gen Z (9%) ( Morning Consult )
• 75% of travelers who plan to stay in a hotel in the spring of 2022 are vaccinated and 16% are unvaccinated ( Morning Consult )
• 6% of all US adults will stay in a vacation rental in the next 3 months ( Morning Consult )
• 20% of travelers with travel plans in the next 3 months expect to stay in a vacation rental ( Morning Consult )
• Millennials are the most likely to stay in a vacation rental at 46%, followed by Gen X (17%), boomers (16%) and Gen Z (21%) ( Morning Consult )
• US adults who have imminent travel plans are more likely to want precautions from travel brands ( Morning Consult )
• Travelers predict they will next travel for leisure in 1 month (11%), 1-3 months (22%), 4-6 months (22%), 7-12 months (13%), in more than a year (19%) and never (12%) ( Morning Consult )
• Travelers of all demographics are more comfortable traveling now than they were during the height of the Omicron outbreak, with high income earners and previous travelers reporting feeling the most comfortable ( Morning Consult )
• In March 2022, more than half of US adults said they would travel for leisure in the next 6 months, up 6 percentage points from January 2022 ( Morning Consult )
• Travelers who traveled 3 or more times a year before the pandemic (who are likely to be millennials and high income earners) are the most likely to be planning a trip soon ( Morning Consult )
• US travelers saw a 5-percentage-point increase in confidence (from 50% to 55%)
• German travelers saw a 17-percentage-point increase in confidence (from 46% to 63%)
• UK travelers saw a 13-percentage-point increase in confidence (from 44% to 57%)
• China travelers saw a 10-percentage-point decrease in confidence (from 47% to 37%)
• Japan travelers saw a 6-percentage-point decrease in confidence (from 33%) to 27%)
• 14% of all US adults will travel by plane in the next 3 months ( Morning Consult )
• 41% of people with travel plans in the next three months expect to fly ( Morning Consult )
• Millennials are the most likely to take a flight at 35%, followed by boomers (27%), Gen X (21%) and Gen Z (16%) ( Morning Consult )
• 83% of travelers who plan to fly in spring of 2022 are vaccinated and 11% are unvaccinated ( Morning Consult )
• 77% of US adults have stayed in a hotel or resort, 65% have flown and 27% have taken a cruise ( Morning Consult )
• 51% of business travelers said they traveled for business at least four times a year pre-pandemic compared to 31% during the pandemic ( Morning Consult )
• Millennials are 13% more likely to travel to a destination with cultural or historical significance ( Responsible Travel )
• 20% of all travelers are Millennials, and they take an average 7.4 trips per year. ( Project Time Off )
• The average millennial has planned on roughly 5 trips for 2020. ( CNBC )
• 40% of Millennial travelers will take a vacation with their friends in the next year ( Resonance Consultancy )
• American women rank first in solo traveling and are more likely to take three trips or more in a given year ( Resonance Consultancy )
• 62% of Millennial parents are traveling with kids under the age of 5 ( Resonance Consultancy – D.K. Shifflet & Associates)
• Roughly 35% of Millennial travelers prefer upscale and luxury hotels/resorts ( Resonance Consultancy )
• 25% of families went on a family vacation that was 1-3 nights in duration ( NYU )
• Travelers in the South are more likely to be making plans for a family trip this year (62%) than travelers in the Northeast (35%) ( Travel Agent Central )
• 68% of family travelers will embark on a summer getaway, while 45% are making plans to travel as a family this spring ( Travel Agent Central )
• 80% of families take a vacation during summer ( NYU )
• 42% of families take a spring break vacation ( NYU )
• 24% of families have traveled internationally with their children for multiple days ( NYU)
• 43% of solo travelers travel three or more times in a year ( Solo Traveler World )
•  46% of women traveling solo said they travel alone for freedom, independence, and the chance to do what they want, when they want ( Solo Traveler World )
• 72% of American women are taking solo vacations ( Booking.com )
• Baby Boomers expect to take 4-5 leisure trips in 2023 ( AARP )
• 50% of solo travelers have a university or college degree or diploma ( Solo Traveler )
• 96% of people ages 25-34 are likely to travel independently ( Solo Traveler World )
• 19% of people ages 25-34 have been or are likely to go on a cruise, 9% of ages 35-44 and 41% of ages 65+ ( Solo Traveler World )
• 54% of people ages 35-44 take vacation for adventure ( Solo Traveler World )
• 79% of Americans would consider taking a long distance international trip during winter ( Qantas )
• 58% of Millennials would travel solo and 26% already have ( The Cashlorette )
• 26% of Millennial women have traveled solo before and 27% have not but would consider doing so in the future ( The Cashlorette )
• 49% of millennial's take last minute vacations ( Internet Marketing Inc. )
• 58% of millennials prefer to travel with friends ( Internet Marketing Inc. )
• 50% of families who had paid vacation time did not use all of their vacation days in 2016 ( NYU )
• 21% of families have taken their children to an all-inclusive resort for vacation, 68% on a family road trip, and 68% on a beach vacation ( NYU )
• Women book tours and activities 67% of the time ( TrekkSoft )
• Women are over 10% more likely to take out loans for the sake of taking a vacation ( Bustle )
• Of people who traveled in 2016, 24% were solo travelers, 47% were adults, and 29% were adults with children ( US Travel Association )
• 28% of low income travelers used a train on their last trip ( Trip Advisor )
• 30% of people ages 55+ take a cruise for their vacation ( Trip Advisor )
• Travelers with high incomes are more likely to have taken many different types of trips: adventure travel (33%), music event (31%), other festival (30%), cruise (27%), and skiing/snowboarding (20%) ( Trip Advisor )
• Low income travelers are more likely to have traveled independently (38%) compared to middle (31%) and high income (31%) travelers ( Trip Advisor )
• 35% of solo travelers have post-graduate degrees ( Solo Traveler )

Travel Destinations: Where People Go When They Travel

• Based on searches for lodgings, the following locations are fastest growing in interest for 2023: Edinburg Scotland, Lisbon Portugal, Tokyo Japan, Dublin Ireland, New York USA ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 16% of travelers traveled internationally in April 2023, the highest in years ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 1/3 of travelers with leisure trips planned this year will travel internationally, 13 points higher than the same time last year ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 78% of travelers with leisure trips planned this year will travel domestically ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 48% of leisure travelers research potential destinations, 54% select a destination, 56% arrange transportation to get there and 54% arrange accommodations 3 months or less in advance ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 57% of business travelers research potential destinations, 54% select a destination, 64% arrange transportation to get there and 61% arrange accommodations 3 months or less in advance ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 68% of people pride themselves on finding lesser-known vacation spots before they become popular ( American Express, 2023 )
• When choosing a destination 52% of travelers trust the recommendations of friends and family most, 44% look to travel providers for inspiration and 33% look to social media ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 51% of consumers plan to travel by air in the next 12 months ( Expedia, 2023 )
• The average trip to the U.S. is 4.5 days, half a day shorter than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• The average trip to Europe is 16.1 days, which is 1.3 days more than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• The average trip to Africa and the Mideast is 24.5 days, which is 0.7 days more than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• The average trip to Asia is 31.4 days, which is 7 days more than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• The average trip to Oceania is 21 days, which is 1.6 days more than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• The average trip to South America is 16.4 days, which is 0.4 days more than the previous year ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 1 in 2 consumers are likely to travel internationally in the next 12 months or already have a trip booked ( Expedia, 2023 )
• The top 3 destinations for outdoor enthusiasts because of national parks and natural wonders are: 1. Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica 2. Jim Corbett National Park, India and 3. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. The top US destination for outdoor enthusiasts is Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska ( TripAdvisor )
• The top 3 destinations for food lovers because of restaurants and restaurants and foodie experiences are: 1. Rome, Italy 2. London, UK and 3. Paris, France. The top US destination for food lovers is New York City, New York ( TripAdvisor )
• The top 3 destinations for big city lovers are: 1. Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2. London, UK and 3. Rome, Italy. The top US destination for big city lovers is Las Vegas, Nevada ( TripAdvisor )
• The top 3 destinations for sun seekers because of pristine beaches and clear waters are: 1. Cancun, Mexico 2. Bali, Indonesia and 3. Crete, Greece. The top US destination for sun seekers is Oahu, Hawaii ( TripAdvisor )
• The top 3 destinations for skiers are: 1. Zermatt, Switzerland 2. Jackson, Wyoming and 3. Banff, Alberta ( TripAdvisor )
• Secluded mountain / rural escapes and waterfront getaways are the most popular vacation rentals of 2022 ( Evolve )
• Only 15% of travelers booking vacation rentals are headed to urban areas in 2022 ( Evolve )
• 27% of travelers favor international trips despite restrictions still in place ( Evolve )
• There was a 4% rise in international tourist arrivals in 2021 from the previous year, meaning it was still down 72% from pre-pandemic levels ( UNWTO )
• The pace of international tourism recovery has been uneven due to varying degrees of restrictions, vaccination rates and traveler confidence. Europe recovered 19% over 2021 and the Americas recovered 17%, while Asia and the Pacific arrivals fell 65% below 2021 levels ( UNWTO )
• 71% of travelers who plan to stay in a vacation rental are vaccinated and 20% are unvaccinated ( Morning Consult )
• 7 of the 10 fastest growing destinations for spring 2022 (based on YOY growth) are outside the US ( Trip Advisor )
• Paris, London and Rome are the top three trending international travel destinations for spring 2022 ( Trip Advisor )
• Orlando, Florida will welcome the most visitors overall in spring 2022, and Hawaii will see the greatest YOY growth from spring 2021, likely the result of relaxing its travel restrictions ( Trip Advisor )
• The top 5 most popular spring travel destinations are: Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Cancun, Mexico; Key West, Florida; Miami Beach, Florida ( Trip Advisor )
• The top 5 fastest growing spring travel destinations are: Honolulu, Hawaii; Paris, France; Lahaina, Hawaii; London, United Kingdom; Rome, Italy ( Trip Advisor )
• 65% of leisure travelers did not travel internationally in 2020 ( TripAdvisor )
• 47% of travelers globally say they plan to travel internationally in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 30% of travelers globally say won’t travel internationally in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 11% of travelers have already booked an international trip for 2022 and an additional 17% say they are researching international trips with the intent to book ( TripAdvisor )
• 13% of US travelers have booked an international trip in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• Hotel searches for trips in Jan-Apr 2022 are predominantly for domestic locations, while searches for trips in May-Dec 2022 are predominantly for international locations ( TripAdvisor )
• 77% of travelers globally say they will be more likely to travel internationally, and 86% domestically, if they receive the COVID-19 vaccine ( TripAdvisor )
• 34% of US travelers say they are much more likely to take an international trip in 2022 once they’ve received the vaccine ( TripAdvisor )
• 26% of travelers globally, 30% of US travelers, say they will only travel to destinations that require visitors to be vaccinated before travel ( TripAdvisor )
• 64% of people who plan to travel in 2022, plan to take 2+ domestic trips ( TripAdvisor )
• 60% of people who plan to travel in 2022, plan to take local trips ( TripAdvisor )
• In the first week of January, nearly 70% of hotel clickers on Tripadvisor were booking domestic trips ( TripAdvisor )
• Globally, 74% of travelers plan to take at least one domestic trip, and 45% plan at least 2 domestic trips, in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 34% of US travelers are planning at least three domestic trips in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 56% of Americans have taken a staycation recently ( YouGov)
• 2020 Google searches for “staycation” have jumped 45% YoY ( Google )
• AAA estimates Americans will make 700 million car trips from July-Sept 2020 ( AAA )
• Popular hotels are selling out nationwide during the pandemic. ( CNN )
• Post-pandemic “revenge spending” indicates travel will be among the first industries to recover. ( Forbe s)
• Weekly pent-up demand for post-pandemic travel continues to grow . ( TravelPulse )
• Top destinations in 2019 were predicted to be The Turkish Riviera, Egypt, The Peloponnese, Matera, Perth, The Scottish Highlands, St Barths, Arles, Valle de Guadalupe and New Orleans ( CN Traveller )
• The Southeast region of the U.S. (Florida, Georgia, Louisiana) captured the largest share of domestic online searches for vacation lodging at 34% followed by the Far West (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada) at 23%, the Mideast (New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania) at 14%, the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma) at 11%, Great Lakes Region (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio) at 7%, Rocky Mountain Range (Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado) at 5%, the Plains Region (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri) at 3% and the New England Region  (Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine) at 3% ( US Travel Association )
• Top 10 U.S. destinations for travel agencies in 2018 include: Alaskan Cruises (47.9%), Orlando (38.6%), Las Vegas (35.4%), Maui (30.9%), NYC (27.7%), Honolulu (25.7%), Hawaiian Cruise (16.5%), Miami/Miami Beach (15.5%), Washington D.C. (14.7%), Los Angeles (12.9%) ( Travel Leaders Group )
• Top 10 international travel locations for travel agencies in 2018 include: Caribbean Cruise (34.7%), Cancun (28.3%), Cruise – Europe (River) (23.1%),  Cruise – Europe (Mediterranean) (17.4%), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (17.2%), Rome (16%), London (15.5%), Amsterdam and Montego Bay, Jamaica (12.6%), Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya, Mexico (11.4%), and Pairs (11.1%) ( Travel Leaders Group )
• Most popular 2019 destinations for American travelers are Florida (17%), California (11%), New York (5%), Texas (5%), and Las Vegas (5%) ( AARP )
• The top five summer road trip routes are: Las Vegas to National Parks, Northern California and Southern Oregon Coast, Northern New England, Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, and Black Hills in South Dakota ( AAA )
• Top 2019 international destinations include Europe (41%), the Caribbean (20%), and Asia and the Middle East (11%) ( AARP )
• Iceland welcomed 2.2 million foreign travelers in 2017, with 32.9% of arrivals being in the winter months ( Iceland Tourist Board )
• Australia is the number one international destination for solo travel ( Booking.com )
• 38% of Millennial travelers are likely to visit a major metropolitan city in the next year ( Resonance Consultancy )
• 50% of Americans, 89% of Indian people, and 69% of French people have traveled to at least one country of their ancestry ( Forbes 2019 )
• 40% of Millennial travelers are likely to visit a beach resort in the next year ( Resonance Consultancy )
• Traveling to Mexico has dropped from 22% in 2017 to 9% for 2018 ( AARP )
• Travel to the United Kingdom has dropped from 15% in 2017 to 6% for 2018 ( AARP )
• Travel to Canada has dropped from 17% in 2017 to 4% for 2018 ( AARP )
• 7% of millennials, 3% of Gen X and 6% of Baby Boomers expect to travel only to international destinations ( AARP )
• 42% of Millennials, 51% of Gen X, and 51% of Baby Boomers expect to travel only to domestic destinations ( AARP )
• 51% of millennials, 46% of Gen X and 43% of Baby Boomers expect to travel to both domestic and international destinations ( AARP )
• 75% of people travel within the U.S. and farther than a bordering state ( Travel Leaders Group )
• 39.8% of people travel internationally (Canada, Mexico, and/or Caribbean) ( Travel Leaders Group )
• Last year international tourist arrivals worldwide reached 1.4 billion ( Stuff )
• 39.5% of people travel within their home state ( Travel Leaders Group )
• 33.1% of people travel to a bordering state ( Travel Leaders Group )
• 24% of Americans travel internationally (Europe) ( Travel Leaders Group )
• 35% of Americans, are planning to take a vacation of 50 miles or more away from home involving two or more immediate family ( AAA ) 
• 55% of families have taken their children on vacation to Florida, 31% to California, and 26% to New York ( NYU )
• 41% of travelers aged 65+, go on cruises for vacation ( Solo Traveler )
• 43% of families have traveled to a National Park with their children for family vacations ( NYU )
• Road trips represented 22% of vacations taken by American travelers in 2016 ( MMGY Global )
• 53% of traveling families expect to pack up their cars for a road trip this year ( Travel Agent Central )
• 57% of global travelers take a beach vacation ( Trip Advisor )
• 56% of global travelers choose a destination to explore city history ( Trip Advisor )
• 52% of global travelers go on vacation to visit family/friends ( Trip Advisor )
• 26% of global travelers go on vacation to attend an event or festival ( Trip Advisor )
• 25% of U.S. destination selectors say they actively research new trips at least once a month ( Phocuswright )

• 46% of travelers will opt for the travel option with the best customer reviews over the best value ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 61% of travelers named price as a top priority when booking transportation, 49% said a brand’s safety measures, 41% said fare flexibility, 38% said past experience with a brand, 29% said amenities available, 22% said environmental impact ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 62% of travelers named price as a top priority when booking accommodations, 48% said a brand’s safety measures, 45% said rate flexibility, 39% said past experience with a brand, 37% said amenities available, 31% said loyalty program perks and 28% said potential to earn/redeem loyalty points ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 59% of travelers booked a leisure trip because they want to get away ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 52% of travelers booked a leisure trip because they want to visit family or friends ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 17% of leisure travelers booked a trip for a special event ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 11% of travelers booked a leisure trip because they found a deal they couldn’t pass up ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 85% of people plan to take 2+ leisure trips in 2023 ( American Express, 2023 )
• 78% of people see travel as an important budget priority ( American Express, 2023 )
• 74% of people care more about creating a travel experience that meets their expectations than about the cost ( American Express, 2023 )
• 89% of people want to travel to destinations they’ve never visited before ( American Express, 2023 )
• 79% of Gen-Z an millennials would love to participate in “a day in the life of locals” at their travel destinations ( American Express, 2023 )
• 75% of travelers have been inspired by social media to a specific destination, 64% were inspired by TV shows, movies or the news ( American Express, 2023 )
• 48% of travelers want to travel somewhere so they can show off on social media ( American Express, 2023 )
• 47% of travelers are influenced by recommendations from family and friends in choosing travel destinations ( American Express, 2023 )
• 66% of gen-z and millennials get most of their inspiration for what and where to eat while traveling from social media ( American Express, 2023 )
• 2/3 of travelers have considered, and 39% have booked trips to destinations after seeing them on streamed shows or movies ( Expedia, 2023 )
• Globally, 38% of travelers plan to book a hotel with extras like plush toiletries or free breakfast ( Expedia, 2023 )
• On average, travelers first search for their trip 5 weeks before departure, and book 3 weeks before departure ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 40% of travelers start researching with firm destination and dates in mind ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 37% of travelers start researching with flexible destination and dates ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 55% of consumers plan to travel more in 2023 than they did in 2022 ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 72% of consumers who received personalized recommendations on their booking site report that their loyalty programs deliver what they value most, only 48% of those who receive personalized recommendations through email say the same ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• About 1/3 of travels are likely to choose a destination that is within a drivable distance ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 62% of people prefer to drive when traveling, making it the most popular mode of transportation ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 23% of travelers are seeking a once-in-a-lifetime experience ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 43% of travelers will use virtual reality to inspire destination choices ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• 73% of travelers are more optimistic about travel in 2023 than they were in 2022 ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• 72% of travelers say traveling is still worth it even amidst of global economic and political uncertainty ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• 70% of travelers say they are more likely to choose travel options that are more inclusive, even if they’re more expensive ( Expedia, 2023 )
• U.S. travelers return to booking apps to double check travel prices 33% more often ( Hopper, 2023 )
• On average, travelers allow 30% less travel planning time when researching and booking trips ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 29% of travelers will travel in 2023 related to trips or events that were delayed by the pandemic ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 77% of travelers will tack personal travel onto their work trip ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 57% of travelers prioritize making sure the experience is worth the cost, 51% prioritize cleanliness and safety ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 49% of travelers say they are motivated to travel for physical and mental health benefits, 49% for a change in scenery, 46% want to make up for lost time with friends and family ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 78% of people have made a travel choice based on promotions or ad they felt represented them through messaging or visuals ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 60% of travel businesses have made changes in the last year to increase inclusivity and accessibility, an additional 21% have plans to do so ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 90% of consumers are looking for sustainable options when traveling ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 47% of consumers would never book non-refundable lodging, and 51% would never book non-refundable transportation ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 76% of business travelers plan to extend a work trip for leisure purposes in the next 12 months ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 28% of people plan to take a trip in the next 12 months which will include both remote work and vacation leisure ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 37% of people will travel for business for the reason of meeting and working with customers, 32% for industry conferences and events and 26% for internal team meetings ( Expedia, 2023 )
• The most popular reasons for travel cited by American travelers include: rest and relaxation (51%), escaping day to day life (49%) and visiting family and friends (44%) ( Trip Advisor )
• 34% of travelers would be significantly less likely to travel if scientists determine Omicron is more resistant to current vaccines, 32% if scientists determine Omicron is more easily transmitted ( MMGY )
• Vaccinated travelers are on average more cautious than unvaccinated travelers ( MMGY )
• Business travel sentiment improved in February 2022 to 89% ( US Travel )
• Nearly 9 in 10 companies are planning business travel in the next 90 days (as of Feb 2022) ( US Travel )
• 82% of American travelers are excited to travel in the next 12 months—the highest level since the start of the pandemic ( US Travel )
• 82% of business travel organizations felt their employees were willing to travel in February 2022, up from 54% in January ( US Travel )
• 40% of US travelers want the feeling that they have made the most out of their trip ( Expedia )
• 37% of US travelers admit to being less spontaneous since the onset of COVID-19, but 25% are willing to be more spontaneous and another 26% are aiming to be more flexible this time around ( Expedia )
• 24% of travelers plan to spend less time on their devices and be more present ( Expedia )
• 27% of travelers aim to spend more time at their destination in order to fully experience all it has to offer ( Expedia )
• Makes the trip more fun (46%)
• Less expensive fares because of flexible timing (43%)
• Visit friends and family more often (43%)
• Travel to places you couldn’t otherwise (44%)
• Save on costs because employer covers part (43%)
• Earn more loyalty/rewards points (37%)
• 45% of the blended (business and leisure) trips planned in the next 12 months will be 2-3 days in length, 34% will be 4-6 days, 14% will be 1-2 weeks and only 5% will be longer than 2 weeks ( Morning Consult )
• Fast and free Wi-Fi is the most preferred amenity by travelers for “workcations” ( Morning Consult )
• Travelers over 40 are nearly 4x as likely to book trips longer than 1 week, and 5x as likely to book trips longer than 2 weeks than travelers under 40 ( Evolve )
• 54% of travelers under 40 prefer trips 3-4 nights in length ( Evolve )
• Despite pandemic uncertainty, only 4% of travelers don’t plan to travel in 2022 ( Evolve )
• 50% of travelers cite flexible cancellation/rebooking policies as a top factor in their 2022 travel decisions – much more than the 23% who prioritized cleanliness ( Evolve )
• 80% of travelers are actively moving forward with 2022 travel plans ( Evolve )
• Of travelers with 2022 travel plans, 47% say they won’t consider cancelling until much closer to their trip dates and 32% plan to travel no matter what happens ( Evolve )
• 86% of respondents plan to book a vacation rental in 2022, and another 14% said “maybe” ( Evolve )
• 62% of travelers plan on taking 3 or more trips in 2022 ( Evolve )
• The average trip length will likely be 5-7 nights in 2022, compared to 3.8 nights in 2020 and 2021 ( Evolve )
• 16% of all US adults will stay in a hotel in the next 3 months ( Morning Consult )
• 49% of US adults who have travel plans in the next 3 months expect to stay at a chain hotel ( Morning Consult )
• 53% of Americans plan to travel in the spring of 2022, 39% plan to take 2 or more trips ( Trip Advisor )
• 35% of Americans reported traveling in the winter of 2021 ( Trip Advisor )
• Often a travel business’ loyalty program is worth more than the brand itself. For example, AAdvantage, American Airlines’ passenger loyalty program is valued between $19.5 - $31.5 billion compared to American Airlines which is valued at $6 billion ( Catalyst )
• Travel and hospitality loyalty programs ( Catalyst )
• 80% of travel and hospitality marketers say their organization has a loyalty program ( Catalyst )
• The average tenure of travel and hospitality loyalty programs is 6.5 years ( Catalyst )
• 1/3 of travel and hospitality loyalty programs have undergone a recent refresh ( Catalyst )
• 2/3 of travel and hospitality marketers feel they use loyalty best practices in running their programs ( Catalyst )
• 77% of travel and hospitality loyalty programs offer transactional rewards, such as the ability to earn and redeem points ( Catalyst )
• 69% of travel and hospitality loyalty programs offer member-only discounts ( Catalyst )
• 61% of travel and hospitality loyalty programs offer rewards focused on access and personalization, like priority or exclusive access to the best rooms, seats or amenities ( Catalyst )
• 59% of travel and hospitality loyalty programs offer personalized gift recognizing significant dates, like the member’s birthday ( Catalyst )
• 1/3 of travel and hospitality brands that aren’t leading the industry in loyalty have no loyalty program at all, though 21% of those brands say they will have one in the future ( Catalyst )
• 2/3 of the travel and hospitality industry’s leading loyalty programs use personalization methods, while only 48% of the industry’s non-leading loyalty programs do ( Catalyst )
• 33% of Americans who won’t travel in 2022 say it’s because of possible travel restrictions, 25% because they are concerned about getting exposed to COVID-19 and 20% because enhanced safety precautions would make their trip less enjoyable ( Trip Advisor )
• 70% of Americans use an establishment’s cleanliness as an important factor in travel decision making ( Trip Advisor )
• 63% of American travelers would like to see safety measures at hospitality businesses continue even after COVID-19 cases have dropped worldwide ( Trip Advisor )
• 52% of American travelers believe it’s more important that they spend time researching their travel plans before booking than it was before the pandemic ( Trip Advisor )
• 17% of American travelers subscribe to a travel related paid subscription program, and an additional 23% would be open to joining in the future ( Trip Advisor )
• US travelers would be motivated to join a travel related subscription program with hotel or flight rate deals and special offers/discounts (36%), cash back rewards on travel bookings (36%), hotel perks and special offers like free breakfast, late check outs, etc. (32%) and travel insurance or free airline status upgrades (about 25%) ( Trip Advisor )
• Travelers’ biggest concerns that make them less likely to travel include: concern about others’ behavior (51%), a loved one’s health/safety (48%), concern about how COVID-19 is affecting society (47%), personal health/safety (47%), COVID-19 quarantine requirements (46%), personal financial situation (37%) and expectations to report in-person to job (29%) ( Morning Consult )
• to relax (56%)
• to spend time with friends and family (56%)
• to escape/get away (55%)
• to experience adventure (27%)
• to improve mental health (27%)
• to seek out cultural experiences (19%)
• to check a location off a bucket list (15%)
• to spend time on one’s own (14%
• to attend a specific event (13%
• to experience luxury (9%)
• to improve physical health (8%)
• International traveler’s reasons for leisure travel varied by reason. For example, more German travelers were motivated by relaxation (77%) and more French travelers were motivated by wanting to escape or get away (68%) ( Morning Consult )
• 74% of travelers say they will spend more time choosing a destination this year in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 66% of travelers say they will spend more time reading reviews about destinations in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 72% of travelers say they will spend more time selecting their accommodations in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• 70% of travelers say they will spend more time finding things to do at their travel destination in 2022 ( TripAdvisor )
• Is reliable or dependable (85%)
• Has good customer service and is responsive to problems (84%)
• Protects customers’ data, privacy and security (83%)
• They have a good safety record (83%)
• They make me feel secure and safe (83%)
• Consistently delivers on what they promise (82%)
• Is a good value for the price (82%)
• Treats customers well , even in tough times (82%)
• They regularly clean and sanitize (81%)
• Has always treated me well (80%)
• They mistreat passengers’ luggage or personal possessions (86%)
• They have surprise fees (85%)
• You had a bad experience with them or their customer service (85%)
• They do not follow clear safety precautions (85%)
• They had a data breach and your personal information was compromised (85%)
• They are known for not being reliable (84%)
• They do not regularly clean or sanitize (84%)
• 35% of millennials say they have lost trust in a travel or hospitality brand and, as a result, will never use that brand again ( Morning Consult )
• Business travelers (61%) and wealthier Americans (57%) say if they trust a brand, they go out of their way to purchase from them. This is higher than the average among adult travelers (44%) ( Morning Consult )
• 8 of the 10 most trusted travel and hospitality brands are hotels or resorts, with only one airline on the list ( Morning Consult )
• Overall, travelers have a higher net trust in travel brands than they did before the pandemic ( Morning Consult )
• 65% of US adults say they would stop purchasing from a travel brand if it did not follow safety precautions, 62% would stop purchasing if a company failed to regularly clean ( Morning Consult )
• 47% of US adults say they tend to trust travel and hospitality companies by default, only losing trust if the company does something bad ( Morning Consult )
• 32% of US adults say travel and hospitality companies have to earn their trust ( Morning Consult )
• 57% of all US adults say trust is a major factor in deciding on travel brands. Trust is even more important to consumers who are members of airline and hotel rewards programs (64%) and business travelers (64%) ( Morning Consult )
• 85% to see my child excited about the experience
• 82% to relax/reduce stress
• 81% to make memories
• 78% for fun, excitement, and adventure
• 73% to see or do something new
• 72% to see more of the world
• 66% to strengthen relationship with a significant other
• 65% to strengthen bonds with family and friends
• 60% to improve outlook on life
• 55% to learn something new about a place, culture or history
• 40% to continue a family tradition
• 35% to cross off an item on bucket list
• U.S. travelers took 466.2 million domestic trips for business, and 1,779.7 million for leisure ( Statista ). That compares with 458.9 million domestic business trips ( Statista ) and 1,745.5 million domestic trips for leisure purposes ( Statista ) in 2016
• Nearly 74% of domestic trips are for leisure purposes ( US Travel Association )
• International arrivals to the U.S. totaled 79 million in 2019, about half of whom came from overseas ( US Travel Association )
• U.S. residents logged 1.9 billion person‑trips* for leisure purposes and 464.4 million person-trips* for business * Person-trip defined as one person on a trip away from home overnight in paid accommodations or on a day or overnight trip to places 50 miles or more away from home ( US Travel Association )
• U.S. residents logged 463.9 million person‑trips (one person on a trip away from home overnight in paid accommodations or on a day or overnight trip to places 50 miles or more away from home) for business purposes, with 38% for meetings and events ( US Travel Association )
• 42% of people travel to visit friends/relatives, 8% for outdoor recreation purposes, 13% for entertainment/sightseeing, 15% for other pleasure/personal reasons, 3% for conventions/conferences/seminars, 7% for general business purposes and 4% for other reasons  ( US Travel Association )
• 1,000,000 travel-related hashtags are searched weekly. ( Wex )
• 81% of travelers consider it very important for brands to provide personalized experiences to their customers ( Travolution )
• 84% of Millennials and 73% of non-Millennials are likely or very likely to plan a trip based on someone else’s vacation photos or social media updates. ( APM Agency )
• 37% of Millennials have had their holiday destination influenced by social media and 34% have booked a holiday because of content seen on social media. ( WeSwap )
• Leisure travelers ages 18–34 are 2.4x more likely than those ages 35 and over to discover travel destinations via mobile. ( Facebook )
• 89% of Millennials plan travel activities based on content posted by their peers online. ( Entrepreneur )
• 31% of Millennials said that posting holiday pics online is just as important as the holiday itself, and 29% wouldn't choose a holiday destination if they were not able to post on social media while there. ( WeSwap )
• 40% of travelers post activity/attraction reviews on social media after returning home. ( WebFX )
• 42% of Millennials stress about taking the perfect photo for social media during vacation ( Value Penguin )
• Top getaways travelers haven’t done before because they are too afraid, but would love to try include: volunteering trip (39%), gourmet adventure (38%), mystery trip (38%), sabbatical trip (36%), and an ancestry trip to find out about their heritage (36%) ( hospitalitynet )
• 57% of travelers in the U.S. would give up alcohol for a year for a free heritage trip ( Airbnb )
• 35% of travelers take vacations to try local delicacies ( Booking.com )
• 51% of people travel to recharge their batteries when they feel stressed, busy, and tired ( Intrepid Adventure Travel Index )
• 59% of solo travelers said the reason they travel alone is because they want to see more of the world and they’re not willing to wait for others ( Solo Traveler )
• 45% of solo travelers like the freedom to do what they want when they want while traveling ( Solo Traveler )
• 47% of millennials and 40% of generation Z travel to relax and avoid stress ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 55% of generation z travel to increase their knowledge ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 23% of millennials travel to meet other travelers ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 45% of millennials travel to learn more about themselves ( WYSE Travel Confederation )
• 56% of global travelers agree traveling has taught them invaluable life skills ( Booking.com )
• One in two (55%) travelers think the best thing about travel is getting out of their comfort zone ( hospitalitynet )
• 34% of younger millennials travel to find more excitement in life ( Expedia )
• One in five people plan to take health and well-being trips (Yoga and Meditation Retreats, Weight Loss and Fitness Retreats, etc.) in 2018, almost double the amount of people compared to 2017 ( Booking.com )
• 46% of families have taken their children on trips for family reunions ( NYU )
• 95% of family travelers said their priority was keeping their families entertained and happy ( Short Term Rentalz 2019 )
• 89% of family travelers said their priority was deals and value of the vacation ( Short Term Rentalz 2019 )
• 85% of family travelers said their priority was planning travel around school holidays ( Short Term Rentalz 2019
• 85% of families said their priority was was outdoor activities ( Short Term Rentalz 2019 ) 
• 85% of families said their priority was being near major attractions or theme parks ( Short Term Rentals 2019 )
• 49% of families said their main priority when they take a family vacation is to visit new places and explore together, 42% to relax and unwind together, and 6% to be active and outdoors together ( NYU )
• 45% of global travelers start their booking process by deciding on a specific destination ( Trip Advisor )
• 59% of pre-travel research takes place between one and three months before traveling ( Trip Advisor)  
• 86% of travelers use online resources when deciding on their accommodation ( Trip Advisor )
• 73% of travelers use online sources when deciding on their destination ( Trip Advisor )
• 77% of families said that “best value/price for our budget” was the most important factor when deciding where to stay on vacation ( NYU )
• 28% of Millennials trust social media about travel providers over magazines, television and Google and TripAdvisor reviews. ( WeSwap )
• 49% of travelers won’t book a hotel without reviews ( Statistic Brain )
• 25% of families had used a travel agent and 75% hadn't for their family vacations in the past five years ( NYU )
• 59% of families said travel websites (TripAdvisor, Expedia, etc.) were resources they used for information or inspirations for where to go and what to do, 10% said Instagram, 74% said search engines, 51% said travel review websites, 30% said social media, 12% said travel agents, and 8% said blogs  ( NYU )
• 58.2% of travelers used any user-generated content to help plan their leisure travel, 32.5% used reviews from hotel, 29.6% used travel reviews of destinations, 30.8% used reviews of restaurants or activities, 13.5% used travel itinerary or blogs, 33.3% used Facebook and 26.3% used group discount websites ( Destination Analysts )
• 56% of solo travelers said the top factor they look for in a destination is safety ( Travel Agent Central )
• More than 40% of business trips in the past year have included a leisure portion added on ( Expedia Media Solutions )
• 25% of Americans who travel for a business trip will extend the trip for personal travel ( AARP )
• 64% of Millennials prefer booking on travel websites for hotels, 47% prefer booking through specific hotel, resort and airline websites, and 24% prefer to book through travel agents ( Resonance Consultancy )
• 79% of travelers who use a smartphone complete a booking after researching on their smartphones ( Think With Google )
• 65% of hotel bookings were made on the same day as researching on a smartphone ( Statistic Brain )
• 33% of Americans would go on at least one additional summer road trip if gas prices remain low ( AAA )

Travel Activities: What People Do When They Travel

• Nostalgic getaways (88%)
• Blowing the budget (80%)
• Laid back luxe life (78%)
• Getting out of comfort zone (73%)
• Nightlife-centric vacations (72%)
• Adventure backpacking (70%)
• Wilderness survival (67%)
• 29% of travelers are planning a cruise in the next year ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 48% of travelers say they trust cruise companies ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 83% of travelers want to shop at small businesses when they travel to a new location ( American Express, 2023 )
• 88% of travelers believe that dining and shopping at local small businesses brings a more authentic experience ( American Express, 2023 )
• 81% of travelers most look forward to trying local foods while traveling ( American Express, 2023 )
• 37% of travelers planned an entire trip around visiting a specific restaurant and 35% have planned a trip around attending a food festival ( American Express, 2023 )
• 66% of travelers want their trips to be strictly work-free in 2023 ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• 61% of travelers want to visit a theme park in 2023 ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• 82% of travelers enjoy walking as their favorite activity to stay healthy while walking ( American Express, 2023 )
• 72% of travelers are more focused on self-care than they were a year ago ( American Express, 2023 )
• 57% of travelers plan to take an extended vacation to focus on wellness ( American Express, 2023 )
• 89% of people taking an incentive trip ranked ample time for relaxation as the most important quality of incentive travel ( The IRF, 2023 )
• 52% of credit card loyalty programs offer tours and activities redemption, 37% offer live events redemption, 19% offer dining redemption and 15% offer wellness redemption ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• Increased attendance at live events is the number one driver of increased business travel in 2023, followed by the easing of travel restrictions and the reopening of their own offices ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 50% of travelers want to experience culture shock in 2023 ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• Half of leisure travelers are at least somewhat interested in taking a cruise in the next 12 months ( MMGY )
• 41% of US travelers are seeking excitement/exhilaration on their next trip ( Expedia )
• 11% of travelers are willing to try daring or high-adrenaline activities ( Expedia )
• 24% of travelers are looking for an unforgettable night out ( Expedia )
• 21% of travelers are most excited to try experiences they would usually never do, like: sleeping under the stars (19%), travelling alone (17%), skinny-dipping (11%) or having a vacation romance (10%) ( Expedia )
• 61% of travelers are most interested in outdoor activities (like hiking, biking and kayaking) and wellness/relaxation experiences ( Evolve )
• Travelers over 40 are more likely to travel with a significant other or multiple generations of family. Travelers under 40 are more likely to travel with a group of friends or solo ( Evolve )
• Seeing new places (75%)
• Having new experiences (71%)
• Going out to restaurants/trying new food (69%)
• Meeting new people (35%)
• 34% of American travelers said it’s more important now than before the pandemic that they choose a destination where they can immerse themselves in “authentic local experiences” ( Trip Advisor )
• 30% of American travelers said it’s more important now than before the pandemic that they pack as many activities into their vacation as possible ( Trip Advisor )
• 34% of American travelers will visit a beach in 2022, 13% will go on shopping trips, 18% will go camping or glamping, 12% are planning a foodie or wine tasting tour and 6% are planning a spa trip or wellness retreat ( Trip Advisor )
• About 20% of travelers worldwide plan to take more guided cultural activities than they did in previous years ( Trip Advisor )
• 30% of American travelers are planning more self-guided cultural activities and 22% are planning more guided cultural activities than they did in previous years ( Trip Advisor )
• 45% of Americans said they’re looking to experience something new and unique on their next trip ( Trip Advisor )
• The top five trending experience categories Americans are booking for spring 2022 include: 4WD, ATV & off-road tours, day trips, cultural tours, snorkeling and wine tasting/winery tours ( Trip Advisor )
• When booking hotels, the top 3 amenities travelers searched for were: pool, bar/lounge and restaurant ( Trip Advisor )
• 44% of travelers are interested in road trips, 39% in beach trips and 30% in shopping trips ( Trip Advisor )
• 72% of travelers are excited to return to amusement parks after the pandemic, 68% to movie theaters, 67% to bars/clubs, 79% to concerts and 74% to sporting events ( Cardify )
• Top leisure travel activities for U.S. domestic travelers: (1) visiting relatives; (2) shopping; (3) visiting friends; (4) fine dining; and (5) rural sightseeing ( US Travel Association )
• 67% of high-income travelers said they would rather spend their vacation money on activities than a nicer hotel room ( Skift )
• Domestic travelers spent 17% of their budgets on recreation/amusement ( US Travel Association )
• 65% of travelers visited art/history museums, 59% aquariums, 56% science museums, 55% theme parks, and 55% zoos in 2017 ( MMGY Global )
• 34% of those who travel want to visit a world famous theme park ( Booking.com )
• 54% of travelers go shopping during their summer vacation, 49% visit historical sights, 49% go swimming or do water sports, 46% go to a park or national park, and 46% go on sightseeing tours ( Statistic Brain )
• 73% of travelers with children have taken their children to theme parks on vacation ( NYU )
• 21% of travelers who use social media for inspiration when researching trips are looking for info on attractions. ( WebFX )
• 11 million Americans take a cruise each year ( Value Penguin )
• Sunset cruise excursions have gone up by 89% in bookings since 2017 ( TripAdvisor )
• Snorkeling activities have gone up by 64% since last year ( TripAdvisor )
• Sailing trips have gone up by 55% within the last year ( TripAdvisor )
• Since 2017, catamaran cruises have gone up by 51% ( TripAdvisor )
• Kayaking and canoeing experiences have gone up by 49% since last year ( TripAdvisor )
• 33% of travelers will visit a spa or receive beauty treatments ( Booking.com )
• 15% of travelers will attend meditation/mindfulness retreats ( Booking.com )
• 73% of travelers aged 25-34, travel to see the top sights ( Solo Traveler )
• 50% of travelers aged 25-34, go to museums while on vacation ( Solo Traveler )
• Those who get tickets to watch athletic events while on vacation pay about $180 annually while those who play sports, like golf, while on vacation, spend about $640 per year ( Value Penguin )
• Average entertainment costs, if incurred by vacationing households: $640 for participant sports, $541 for movies and other admissions, $180 for tickets to sporting events, $250 for other recreation expenses and $250 for other entertainment services ( Value Penguin )
• Travel activities account for 8% of U.S. travel gross bookings and the segment comes in third by size behind hotels and flights ( Phocuswright )
• The U.S. travel activities market totaled $34 billion in 2018, and growth is outpacing the total travel market ( Phocuswright )
• More than three in four activities booked in-destination happened on the day of or day before the activity ( Phocuswright )
• Mobile searches for “things to do/activities” + “near me” have seen a 6X increase over the last two years. ( Think with Google )
• Searches for activities are happening across devices in the three months prior to a trip, but shift significantly to 54% mobile when travelers are in-destination ( Google )
• 35% of travelers have used mobile phones to book a tour or activity while already at a vacation destination ( Skift )
• Travelers tend to book expensive activities more in advance compared to cheaper activities ( Tour Scanner )
• 50% of activity bookings are made less than eight days before consumption. ( Tour Scanner )
• 85% of consumers use their phones to book travel activities, including restaurant reservations and sightseeing tours. ( MDG Advertising )
• It’s predicted that the overall tours and activities segment will grow to $183 billion ( Phocuswright )

• 77% of travel businesses operate a loyalty program ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 44% of consumers belong to a travel loyalty program ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 61% of female and 58% of male travelers now pay more attention to travel discounts offered through loyalty programs than they did before the pandemic ( Booking.com, 2023 )
• Experts predict the number of people participating in incentive travel programs will increase by 48% in 2023 and 61% in 2024 ( The IRF, 2023 )
• 46% of all U.S. adults are members of a travel loyalty/rewards program, with millennials the most likely to be members (56%) ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 84% of high-income earners are members of a travel loyalty/rewards program ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• 61% of travelers plan to redeem points or rewards for travel in the next 6 months, of which 7% plan to redeem in the next month ( Morning Consult, 2023 )
• Special discounted pricing (52%)
• Collecting points to redeem for future purchases (46%)
• Complimentary upgrades/add-ons (42%)
• Exclusive access to amenities and services (34%)
• Prioritized customer service (26%)
• 53% of travelers say it is more important now than it was before the pandemic to stay with providers where they are a loyalty member ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 48% plan to stay at a chain hotel
• 32% plan to stay with family and friends
• 28% plan to stay in a vacation rental
• 55% plan to travel with their own car
• 44% plan to travel by plane
• 21% plan to travel by bus
• 16% plan to travel by train
• Air travel demand in April 2023 rose 10% over April 2022, bringing it to equal April 2019, the last pre-pandemic year ( US Travel Assoc, 2023 )
• Hotel stay demand in April 2023 rose 2% over April 2022, but is still 2% below April 2019 levels, the last pre-pandemic year ( US Travel Assoc, 2023 )
• Overseas arrivals into the U.S. in April 2023 dropped 27% from April 2022, and are still 27% below April 2019 levels, the last pre-pandemic year ( US Travel Assoc, 2023 )
• Globally, 35% of travelers plan to stay in 1- to 3-star hotels in 2023 ( Expedia, 2023 )
• Demand for vacation rental private homes in U.S. western destinations is up by more than 30% ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 43% of travelers say that saving money is what they value most from their loyalty programs ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 32% of loyalty program providers include travel awards as part of their earning and redemption options ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 61% of travelers believe their loyalty programs are helping them save money and get more value from travel experiences ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• Loyalty providers reported their top goals for 2023 as increasing membership (59%), boost engagement (59%), increase customer lifetime value (40%), increase participation and total spend through the loyalty program (39%) and introduce new rewards and earn/burn options (39%) ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 86% of loyalty programs with travel rewards have booking capabilities ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 29% of loyalty programs with travel booking capabilities describe their program as “state of the art” ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 25% of consumers dislike that they can’t book all travel options they want in one place with their loyalty program ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 24% of consumers have a hard time understanding their travel loyalty program’s earning and redemption rules ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 59% of consumers would engage more with their loyalty program if given deeper discounts, 31% if given more exclusive options, 25% if given a better booking experience and 40% if given a broader selection of rewards ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 81% of gen z like personalize ads, 57% of millennials do not prefer personalized ads ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 37% of consumers receive personalized recommendations via their loyalty program booking site ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 31% of consumers say they would likely use a buy now, pay later option if offered by their travel loyalty program, 27% would likely use price/fare freezing, 16% would use digital wallet acceptance and 5% would use cryptocurrency acceptance ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 36% of millennials and 44% of gen z would be more likely to book a trip through their loyalty program if the provider contributed a portion to sustainability causes ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 44% of consumers would be more likely to book sustainable travel options if given a bonus or incentive for doing so ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 31% of consumers want their travel rewards provider to add buy now, pay later options, with millennials and gen z being the most likely to want this at 53% ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 63% of loyalty providers believe they are their members’ first choice when booking travel ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 51% of consumers visit their loyalty program website first when booking travel ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 20% of travel loyalty program providers say user experience is their biggest challenge ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 92% of travel loyalty program providers believe they are delivering on their members’ needs, only 52% of members agree ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 84% of consumers got frustrated by user experience issues when booking travel through their loyalty program ( iSeatz, 2023 )
• 40% of businesses are working to optimize their corporate travel policy to decrease environmental impact ( Deloitte, 2023 )
• 54% of travelers plan to take more trips this year than in 2022 ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 63% of hotel bookings through the Hopper app in 2023 were made for same-day check-in ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 53.6% of travelers are taking more trips in 2023 than previous years, 32.7% are taking the same number of trips and 13.7% are taking fewer trips ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 45% of travelers have some level of travel flexibility because of remote work ( Hopper, 2023 )
• Because of work flexibility, 57% of travelers are traveling more frequently, 30% are traveling more during the school/work week, 26% are traveling for longer and 19% are working and traveling as a digital nomad ( Hopper, 2023 )
• 52% of travel professionals are making changes to their business due to negative customer reviews ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 96% of travel organizations say they offer refundable services or credits, while only 63% say they will continue providing these moving forward ( Expedia, 2023 )
• Only 8% of travel industry professionals say leisure travel is back to pre-pandemic levels, but 63% expect it to return in the next 2 years ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 46% of consumers say travel is more important to them now than it was pre-pandemic ( Expedia, 2023 )
• 79% of consumers plan to take a leisure trip in the next year ( Expedia, 2023 )
• US airlines are projecting 150% as many passengers to fly in 2022 as did in 2021 ( IATA )
• 3.4 billion passengers are projected to fly in 2022, up from 2.3 billion in 2021, but still down from 4.5 billion in 2019 ( IATA )
• In 2022 overall demand for flights is expected to reach 61% of pre-crisis (2019) levels. Capacity is expected to continue to increase faster than demand, reaching 67% of pre-crisis levels for 2022 ( IATA )
• In 2022, demand for domestic flights is expected to reach 93% of pre-crisis (2019) levels ( IATA )
• In 2022, demand for international flights is expected to reach 44% of pre-crisis (2019) levels ( IATA )
• Air travel in January 2022 (measured in RPKs) was up 82.3% compared to January 2021, but down 4.9% compared to the previous month (December 2021) ( IATA )
• January 2022 domestic air travel was up 41.3% compared to January 2021, but down 7.2% compared to December 2021 ( IATA )
• January international air travel was up 165.6% compared to January 2021, but down 2.2% compared to December 2021 ( IATA )
• Hotel demand in January 2022 was 9% below 2021 levels ( US Travel )
• Nearly 1 in 6 job openings in the US are in leisure and hospitality ( US Travel )
• Overseas arrivals fell to 65% below 2019 levels in January 2022 ( US Travel )
• Leisure & hospitality accounts for 61% of all jobs still lost since 2020, and is recovering more slowly than the rest of the economy ( US Travel )
• Of the 10.9 million job openings in the US at the beginning of 2022, roughly one in six, or 1.7 million, were in leisure & hospitality alone ( US Travel )
• 58% of tourism professionals predict a travel rebound in 2022 (mostly in the third quarter) and 42% predict the rebound won’t happen until 2023 ( UNWTO )
• 64% of tourism experts predict international arrivals will return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024 or later ( UNWTO )
• 2020 was the worst year on record for tourism and 2021 the second worst year on record ( UNWTO )
• clean/sanitize common areas (71%)
• clean/sanitize private customer areas (70%)
• publicly share info about COVID-19 protocols (55%)
• allow for physical distancing (49%)
• require employees to wear masks (48%)
• require customers to wear masks (41%)
• use tech to minimize interactions (39%)
• The most popular travel dates for spring 2022 are March 31, March 11 and then March 12 ( Trip Advisor )
• 77% of Americans say they’ll travel within the US between March and May 2022, and 23% plan to travel internationally ( Trip Advisor )
• 78% of US travelers intend to travel during 2022 ( Trip Advisor )
• By the end of 2021, 78% of Americans were ready to travel ( US Travel )
• By the end of 2021, 81% of global business travelers believed their 2022 domestic business travel volume could meet or exceed their pre-pandemic volume ( US Travel )
• There is a 1 in one million risk of an infected passenger transmitting COVID-19 to another passenger flying from the UK to the US ( US Travel )
• International travel restrictions resulted in the loss of more than 1 million American jobs and $150 billion in export income in 2021 ( US Travel )
• In March 2020, international visitations were down 96% compared to March 2019 as a result of pandemic lockdowns on travel ( US Travel )
• In the year 2020, international travel to the US fell by 76% compared to 2019 ( US Travel )
• Prior to the pandemic, direct travel jobs accounted for 6% of the workforce and total travel-supported jobs accounted for 11% ( US Travel )
• In 2020, direct travel jobs accounted for 35% of jobs lost and total travel supported jobs accounted for 65% of jobs lost ( US Travel )
• 62% of travel and hospitality companies offer email support, 46% have Twitter profiles. Only 12% of travel companies are responsive via both email and social support ( Netomi )
• From the travel and hospitality companies that offer support, 70% of emails and 46% of Twitter direct messages are never answered ( Netomi )
• When travel and hospitality companies offer customer support, 97% of email responses do not provide a meaningful answer in the initial email response and 72% of companies don’t provide a relevant response on social media ( Netomi )
• When travel and hospitality companies answer customer inquiries, 57% respond to emails within the first 3 hours, and 22% respond within the first 15 minutes on Twitter ( Netomi )
• Only 11% of travel and hospitality companies show empathy in email responses and 26% don’t show any empathy on social media support ( Netomi )
• The largest travel and hospitality companies (5,000+ employees) were the slowest responders on email, with an average response time of over 27 hours, but the quickest on Twitter, responding to social messages in 5.8 hours, on average ( Netomi )
• 65% of Americans are look forward to traveling again, both internationally and domestically, after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted ( Zapwater )
• 56% of those surveyed said they feel comfortable spending just as much on a trip as they would have before COVID-19 ( Zapwater )
• Post COVID travel priorities include: hotel safety protocols (76%) close proximity to home (23%) and the number of COVID-19 cases in a destination (63%) ( Zapwater )
• Once COID-19 restrictions are lifted, 61% of Americans will plan their first trip to visit family and friends ( Value Penguin )
• Once COID-19 restrictions are lifted, the first states Americans want to visit include Florida (13%), California (12%) and New York (8%) ( Value Penguin )
• 19% plan to spend less on travel due to financial impacts of COVID-19 restrictions, while 15% expect to spend more and 42% expect to spend the same as usual ( Value Penguin )
• 72% of Americans did not take a 2020 summer vacation due to COVID-19 concerns ( Value penguin )
• A third of Americans (50% of parent with children under 18) put off a milestone trip such as an anniversary or graduation celebration in 2020 ( Value penguin )
• In 2020, those with more money were more likely to take a summer vacation: 52% of households earning $100,000 or more, 36% of households earning $75,000 to $99,000 and only 15% of households earning less than $25,000 ( Value penguin )
• 31% of consumers (49% of parents with kids under 18) decided to take a summer staycation in 2020 ( Value penguin )
• 36% of working Americans who took no paid time off in the summer of 2020 reported it was because they had nowhere to travel to ( Value penguin )
• Most families own or lease the vehicles they use for road trips, but about 2% rent a car or truck on vacation and spend an average of $1,223 ( Value Penguin )
• Despite their cultural prominence, only 0.5% of Americans travel via RV (recreational vehicle) ( Value Penguin )
• Travel website cart abandonment rates are 81.6% which is higher than the overall average of 76.8%. ( SaleCycle )
• Booking abandonment rates on hotel websites are 78.3%, with the most common reasons around research and price comparison ( IMPACT )
• Only about 10% of Americans buy a plane ticket in a given quarter ( Value Penguin )
• The U.S. travel market grew 5% in 2018, with gains remaining steady in 2019; by 2022, total gross bookings will have increased to $441 billion ( Phocuswright )
• 66% of bookings were made through supplier websites/mobile apps, and 34% through OTAs ( Phocuswright )
• 90% of travelers now have apps to make their life easier when at their destination with maps, airlines, weather and social media ( Travelport )
• 55% of global travelers report being more determined to make sustainable travel choices than they were a year ago ( Booking.com )
• 73% of global travelers intend to stay at least once in an eco-friendly or green accommodation when looking at the year ahead ( Booking.com )
• 70% of global travelers say they would be more likely to book an accommodation knowing it was eco-friendly, whether they were looking for a sustainable stay or not ( Booking.com )
• More than 60% of travelers would consider an impulse trip based on a good hotel or flight deal ( Think With Google )
• Booking.com found that 80% of customers prefer mobile booking to get the information that they need ( TechRadar )
• For those going abroad, 31% have booked their 2019 trips by September of 2018 ( AARP )
• 72% of all mobile bookings made by travelers happened within a 48-hour window prior to booking ( Sojern )
• 38% of all mobile bookings are made on the same day or two days before a trip ( PhocusWright )
• 53% of all mobile bookings are made within a week of a trip ( PhocusWright )
• Only 19% of all mobile bookings are made more than a month in advance ( PhocusWright )
• 32% of solo travelers start planning 6 months before departure ( Solo Traveler )
• 33% of solo travelers start planning 3 months or less before departure ( Solo Traveler )
• 40% of global travelers choose to stay in eco-friendly places to help reduce environmental impact, 34% to have a locally relevant experience, and 33% to feel good about an accommodation choice ( Booking.com )
• Plane and car are preferred modes of transport for family travel, with 52% selecting their mode of transport by the fastest option, and 34% based on lowest cost ( Expedia Group )
• The primary mode of transportation for domestic and international travel are: plane (66% domestic & 87% international), cruises (5% domestic & 35% international), train (6% domestic & 16% international), rental car (24% domestic & 14% international), personal car (60% domestic & 13% international), and buses (2% domestic & 10% international) ( AARP )
• 6% of travelers end up paying for local transportation, like taxis, as part of their yearly vacation budget ( Value Penguin )
• About 6% of families travel by train, bus or ship on vacation ( Value Penguin )
• 61% of families stay in a hotel while on vacation with children and 22% stay in a resort ( NYU )
• 37% of travelers go on road trips on Independence Day, 29% on Memorial Day, and 27% on Labor Day ( Statistic Brain )
• Airbnb had 80 million bookings by guests in ( Resonance Consultancy )
• 26% of ages 18-34 used a train during their vacation ( Trip Advisor )
• 88% of travelers have already selected their domestic travel destination for 2019 ( AARP ) 
• More Millennial's than Baby Boomers will use all of their vacation time (77% versus 62%) ( AARP )
• There are 705 million total unused vacation days annually ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 52% of American employees have unused vacation time ( U.S. Travel Association )
• Americans took an average 17.2 vacations in 2017 ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 212 million vacation days get forfeited annually ( U.S. Travel Association )
• Millennial's are more likely to bring work with them on trips than Baby Boomers (78% versus 59%) ( AARP )
• 82% of millennials consider travel reviews important ( Internet Marketing Inc. )
• The proportion of mobile bookings increased between 2017 and 2018, from 51.5% to 56.7% ( TrekkSoft )
• 51% of US travelers said that once they decided to go on a trip, they would spend less than one week researching flights ( Facebook IQ )
• 54% of family travelers prefer taking a plane for transportation to their destination and 47% prefer cars ( Short Term Rentalz 2019 )
• 60% of family travelers prefer hotels for accommodation, 21% prefer resorts, and 17% prefer to stay with family and friends ( Short Term Rentalz 2019 )
• Hotels and flights are booked in advance of 12 weeks and within the 3 months prior to the trip date ( Google )
• 48% of experiences are booked once travelers arrive at their destination ( Google 2019 )
• Gen Alpha (those born after 2010) is showing more signs of influencing family travel decisions and planning ( Short Term Rentalz )
• On average globally, travelers with Gen Alphas are taking more than three family trips a year ( Expedia Group )
• Online will account for the lion’s share of travel sales at 52%, with mobile sales representing a quarter of all travel bookings ( Euromonitor International )
• International arrivals are expected to amount o 1.8 billion trips by 2024, and domestic tourism is expected to reach 19 billion ( Euromonitor International )
• 74% of consumers say experiencing things in the real world was a priority for them in 2019, with Baby Boomers being the most experiential and Gen Z being less so by 15% ( Euromonitor International )
• 43% of global consumers say they prioritize experiences over things, while 78% value real world experiences in 2019 ( Euromonitor International )
• Where the average employee is taking 17.2 days of vacation, 47% of that time - just eight days - is used for travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 23% of employees said they used none of their time off to travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 84% of employees say it is important to them they use their time off to travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• The average Millennial takes 14.5 days off, 7.1 of which are used to travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• Gen X uses 17.9 of their days off and dedicates 8.2 of those for travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• Boomers take the most days off work at 19.8 and spend 9 days on travel vacations ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 48% of Americans don’t use a majority of their vacation time for travel ( U.S. Travel Association )
• Mega-travelers are happier with how they spend their paid time off compared to homebodies (76% to 48%) ( U.S. Travel Association )
• When it comes to happiness with physical health and well-being, there is a 22% gap (61% to 39%) between mega-travelers and homebodies ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 4 in 10 Americans fear flying, and 16% avoid it together ( Value Penguin )
• 59% of mega-travelers report being happy with their company, compared to 46% of homebodies ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 57% of mega-travelers reported being happy with their job compared to 46% of homebodies ( U.S. Travel Association )
• 52% of mega-travelers reported receiving a promotion in the last two years compared with 44% of Americans who use some or little to none of their time to travel ( U.S. Travel Association )

Got Travelers of Your Own?

We at Access Development know a thing or two about wholesale travel benefits and the white-label travel platforms used to increase member engagement. Contact us and learn about our private travel network for groups and organizations. Whether it's deep discounts or cash-back travel rewards of up to 50% on hotel bookings, car rentals, theme park tickets and more, Access has the platform you need to offer your travelers unparalleled worldwide value. 

Topics: Customer Engagement , Customer Incentives , Member Benefits , Travel , value enhancement , travel club incentives , tourism statistics , vacation statistics , business travel statistics , travel statistics

Written by: Andrew Graft

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Domestic Travel Is Bouncing Back for Many 50-Plus Americans

Aarp 2022 travel trends survey.

by Vicki Levy, AARP Research , March 2022

Read the Detailed Findings

• 2022 Travel Trends (PDF)
• Annotated Questionnaire: Travelers (PDF)
• Annotated Questionnaire: Nontravelers (PDF)
• More Reports from AARP Research

After curtailing vacations during the pandemic, a new AARP survey finds Americans are beginning to feel more comfortable about traveling. The hopeful return to the road this year is fueled, in part, by the strong buying power and pent-up demand of travelers 50-plus.

In 2021, more than half (51%) of older travelers say they took fewer trips than anticipated. While 54% of 50-plus Americans planned to travel last year, 67% anticipate doing so in 2022 — taking an average of at least four trips this year.

A big factor at play for travelers, understandably, is safety.

Over two-thirds say they are concerned about the spread of COVID-19. Still, 77% feel it is safe to vacation this year compared to only 40% last year. Women are feeling a bit more cautious: 65% expect travel in 2022 to look different than before the pandemic, compared to 60% of men who say the same. For domestic travel, men are more likely to be planning trips than women (37% vs. 31%), while women are still in the travel idea phase (51% vs. 47%).

Older travelers are more likely to keep their travel within the U.S., avoid crowded destinations, and take more road trips than usual. About 43% of people 50 and over are planning to travel both domestically and abroad this year, just slightly below plans for 2020 prior to the pandemic. 

Time to Splurge

Since COVID-19 put the kibosh on travel for much of the past two years, many Americans have saved up money and vacation days that they are now eager to use. This is translating into bigger budgets for trips in the year ahead. Two out of three travelers age 50 and over expect to spend more on travel in 2022 than in 2021.

Before the pandemic, Americans age 50-plus planned to spend $7,314 annually, on average, for travel. This year, older adults typically say they are ready to shell out $8,369. For those 70-plus, it may be as high as over $11,500 — with some extra money going toward travel insurance and flexible/cancellable tickets. However, AARP discovered a significant gap by age: Americans under age 50 are more budget minded and expect to spend closer to $5,000 on trips in 2022.

International trip planning has not yet been a return to prepandemic levels. Just 17% of travelers age 50-plus have booked international travel for 2022, while 34% are planning and 49% are considering travel abroad.

Having Fun Closer to Home

Some Americans are still not ready to travel at all. This year just 2% of older adults say they are set against travel, down from 8% who felt that way in 2021. The top reasons remain the same as in last year's survey: safety concerns about transportation, safety concerns if a destination is a COVID-19 hotspot, and fear of becoming ill or infecting others.

What might ease travel worries while COVID-19 remains present? Those who are hesitant to return to travel in 2022 say having fully refundable tickets, knowing the COVID safety protocols for transportation and accommodation providers, and the majority of the population vaccinated.

Methodology

AARP's 2022 Travel Trends study includes two surveys on travelers and nontravelers conducted in November 2021. The 15-minute online survey of travelers included 2,008 adults 18 and older who had taken at least one trip within the past two years 50 miles or more away from home, with at least a two-night stay. The 10-minute online survey of nontravelers included a sample of 1,003 Americans with no plans for personal travel in 2022. Final data have been weighted to U.S. Census for analysis by age group.

For more information, please contact Vicki Levy at [email protected] . For media inquiries, please contact [email protected] .

Suggested citation:

Levy, Vicki. 2022 Travel Trends Survey. Washington, DC: AARP Research, March 2022.  https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00513.001

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2024 Summer Travel Report

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The days are getting longer and hotter, and millions of Americans are making plans for summer vacation. According to NerdWallet’s annual summer travel survey, nearly half of Americans (45%) plan to take a trip that requires a flight or hotel stay this summer, and they’ll spend $3,594, on average, on these expenses. That’s over 118 million Americans spending a total of more than $424 billion on airfare and hotel stays in summer 2024.

The survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted online by The Harris Poll and commissioned by NerdWallet, asked those traveling this summer how they plan to save on trip expenses and whether they plan to rack up credit card debt on their vacation costs. Of those surveyed, 931 say they plan to take a trip that requires a flight or hotel stay this summer; they’ll be referred to as “summer travelers” throughout this report.

Key findings

One-fifth of summer travelers plan to go into debt for vacation: 1 in 5 summer travelers (20%) say they’ll use a credit card to pay for their travel expenses, but won’t pay off the balance within the first billing statement. Instead, they’ll carry over the balance, possibly racking up costly interest charges.

Travelers are taking steps to save: The majority of summer travelers (91%) are taking action to save money on their travel expenses, like driving instead of flying to their destination (42%). This is up since 2023 when 35% of summer travelers said this, perhaps due to falling gas prices over the past couple of years.

Some nontravelers are opting out due to inflation: Of Americans who say they aren’t taking a summer vacation that requires a flight or hotel stay this year, more than 1 in 5 (22%) say it’s because inflation has made travel too expensive. Last year, 23% of non-summer travelers said this, suggesting that the high inflation of 2022 is still weighing on consumers.

Events are taking some out of town this summer: We asked Americans who are spending at least one night away from home this summer what they’re traveling for. Of them, 12% say they’ll travel for a concert, 8% for a wedding and 4% for a bachelor or bachelorette party.

“Millions of Americans are hitting the road this summer, with many opting to drive to their summer destinations, which may be a more affordable option than flying,” says Sally French, a NerdWallet travel expert and spokesperson. “But the high cost of travel due to inflation is still holding some back.”

Some going into debt to pay for summer travel

The majority of summer travelers (83%) plan to pay for at least part of their vacation expenses — airfare or hotel stays — with a credit card, but not all of them have plans to pay it off right away. According to the survey, 20% of summer travelers plan to use a credit card for these expenses but won’t pay off the expenses in full within the first billing statement.

The most recent data from the St. Louis Fed shows that average credit card interest on accounts assessing interest is 22.75%. To put that in perspective, for each $1,000 you carry on a credit card per year, that’s around $228 in interest.

Aim to reduce interest charges

There are still a few months before summer, so even if you’ve already charged some of your travel expenses, there’s still time to reduce those interest costs. Scour your budget to see where there’s room to cut back, and divert extra money toward paying off travel expenses already on your credit card or saving up the cash to pay those future credit card charges.

If it’s not possible to get interest down prior to your trip, and you aren’t considering changing your travel plans, figure out how you can pay the charges as quickly as possible. Credit card debt is some of the most expensive consumer debt you can carry, and the high interest rates can make it more challenging to pay off.

“To pay off debt faster and minimize interest charges, make a plan you can reasonably stick to,” French says. “If possible, bump up your monthly payments. Even a small increase, like rounding your payment up to the nearest hundred dollars, or taking money received as gifts or from side hustles and applying it to debt, can help.”

Travelers are taking action to save money on summer vacation

There are plenty of options for getting trip costs down, and most summer travelers (91%) are taking steps to do just that. The top two money-saving measures are driving instead of flying to their destination (42%) and choosing a hotel/motel/resort based on price instead of amenities (39%).

More than a third of summer travelers (35%) will use credit card points/miles to cover expenses. This can be a great option to save money and use up accumulated points that might otherwise lose value over time.

Assess points and make a plan to use them

It’s tempting to save up your travel rewards for your dream vacation. But if that’s not in the near future, it’s a good idea to look at the points and miles you have and use them sooner rather than later. Over time, rewards can become less valuable, so if you’re saving them for a nebulous future trip, you may get less bang for your point.

“NerdWallet recommends saving in most scenarios — but saving travel rewards points is not one of them,” French says. “Points inflation is very real. Unless you’re saving for a specific redemption, it’s generally best to spend them on travel you’d otherwise pay cash for now.”

If you’re looking to rack up points for next year’s summer vacation, you may want to look into travel rewards credit cards with sign-up bonuses . Credit cards can be a great tool to earn rewards that make travel cheaper, but only if you plan to pay them off by the due date. Carrying credit card debt for the points generally results in paying more in interest than you’re earning in rewards.

Some nontravelers cite inflation as a reason for staying home

2022 was a year of high inflation, and while the U.S. inflation rate is getting closer to the targeted 2%, the dramatic price increases are still having an impact on consumer spending. Among those who aren’t planning on taking a summer vacation that requires a flight or hotel stay, more than one-fifth (22%) say it’s because inflation has made travel too expensive. Nearly as many nontravelers (19%) say that inflation has made their other expenses too expensive, so they can’t afford to take a summer vacation.

Around 1 in 6 nontravelers (17%) are still planning on getting away this summer, just not in a way that requires a flight or hotel stay. We asked what sorts of events are taking Americans away from home for at least one night this summer.

Some are traveling for concerts, weddings this summer

The vast majority of Americans (88%) say they’ll spend at least one night away from home this summer, whether or not this trip requires a flight or hotel stay. For many, this means a vacation with others or solo, but some are also traveling to attend events, like a concert (12%) or wedding (8%).

A hefty 22% of Generation Zers (ages 18-27) plan to travel at least one night away from home this summer for a concert. Perhaps they’re making plans to attend a summer music festival, or maybe they’re jetting off to Europe for the ongoing Eras Tour .

Start saving for next year’s summer vacation plans

No matter what your travel plans are, it’s a good idea to save up in advance to avoid going into credit card debt. If you can estimate what next year’s travel expenses will cost you, you can use a savings goal calculator to determine how much you need to save each month. You can also earmark a windfall — like a tax refund — specifically for summer travel plans.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet from Jan. 30 - Feb. 1, 2024, among 2,092 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 931 will take a vacation that requires a flight or hotel stay this summer. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected] .

Summer travel is defined as June, July and August 2024, for the purposes of this survey.

NerdWallet disclaims, expressly and impliedly, all warranties of any kind, including those of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or whether the article’s information is accurate, reliable or free of errors. Use or reliance on this information is at your own risk, and its completeness and accuracy are not guaranteed. The contents in this article should not be relied upon or associated with the future performance of NerdWallet or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties as indicated by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should” or “anticipates” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements may materially differ from NerdWallet’s presentation of information to analysts and its actual operational and financial results.

On a similar note...

The state of tourism and hospitality 2024

Tourism and hospitality are on a journey of disruption. Shifting source markets and destinations, growing demand for experiential and luxury travel, and innovative business strategies are all combining to dramatically alter the industry landscape. Given this momentous change, it’s important for stakeholders to consider and strategize on four major themes:

• The bulk of travel is close to home. Although international travel might draw headlines, stakeholders shouldn’t neglect the big opportunities in their backyards. Domestic travel still represents the bulk of travel spending, and intraregional tourism is on the rise.
• Consumers increasingly prioritize travel—when it’s on their own terms. Interest in travel is booming, but travelers are no longer content with a one-size-fits-all experience. Individual personalization might not always be practical, but savvy industry players can use segmentation and hypothesis-driven testing to improve their value propositions. Those that fail to articulate target customer segments and adapt their offerings accordingly risk getting left behind.
• The face of luxury travel is changing. Demand for luxury tourism and hospitality is expected to grow faster than any other travel segment today—particularly in Asia. It’s crucial to understand that luxury travelers don’t make up a monolith. Segmenting by age, nationality, and net worth can reveal varied and evolving preferences and behaviors.
• As tourism grows, destinations will need to prepare to mitigate overcrowding. Destinations need to be ready to handle the large tourist flows of tomorrow. Now is the time for stakeholders to plan, develop, and invest in mitigation strategies. Equipped with accurate assessments of carrying capacities and enhanced abilities to gather and analyze data, destinations can improve their transportation and infrastructure, build tourism-ready workforces, and preserve their natural and cultural heritages.

McKinsey Live event: Faces, places, and trends: The state of tourism & hospitality

Thursday, June 13 at 10:30 a.m EDT / 4:30 p.m CET

Now boarding: Faces, places, and trends shaping tourism in 2024

Global travel is back and buzzing. The amount of travel fell by 75 percent in 2020; however, travel is on its way to a full recovery by the end of 2024. More regional trips, an emerging population of new travelers, and a fresh set of destinations are powering steady spending in tourism.

There’s no doubt that people still love to travel and will continue to seek new experiences in new places. But where will travelers come from, and where will they go?

We share a snapshot of current traveler flows, along with estimates for growth through 2030.

The way we travel now

Which trends are shaping traveler sentiment now? What sorts of journeys do today’s travelers dream about? How much are they willing to spend on their trips? And what should industry stakeholders do to adapt to the traveler psychology of the moment?

To gauge what’s on the minds of present-day travelers, we surveyed more than 5,000 of them. The findings reveal disparate desires, generational divides, and a newly emerging set of traveler archetypes.

Updating perceptions about today’s luxury traveler

Demand for luxury tourism and hospitality is expected to grow faster than for any other segment. This growth is being powered in part by a large and expanding base of aspiring luxury travelers with net worths between $100,000 and $1 million, many of whom are younger and increasingly willing to spend larger shares of their wealth on upscale travel options. The increase is also a result of rising wealth levels in Asia.

We dug deeper into this ongoing evolution by surveying luxury travelers around the globe about their preferences, plans, and expectations. Some widely held notions about luxury travelers—such as how much money they have, how old they are, and where they come from—could be due for reexamination.

Destination readiness: Preparing for the tourist flows of tomorrow

As global tourism grows, it will be crucial for destinations to be ready. How can the tourism ecosystem prepare to host unprecedented volumes of visitors while managing the challenges that can accompany this success? A large flow of tourists, if not carefully channeled, can encumber infrastructure, harm natural and cultural attractions, and frustrate locals and visitors alike.

Now is the time for tourism stakeholders to combine their thinking and resources to look for better ways to handle the visitor flows of today while properly preparing themselves for the visitor flows of tomorrow. We offer a diagnostic that destinations can use to spot early-warning signs about tourism concentration, along with suggestions for funding mechanisms and strategies to help maximize the benefits of tourism while minimizing its negative impacts.

Six trends shaping new business models in tourism and hospitality

As destinations and source markets have transformed over the past decade, tourism and hospitality companies have evolved, too. Accommodation, home sharing, cruises, and theme parks are among the sectors in which new approaches could present new opportunities. Stakeholders gearing up for new challenges should look for business model innovations that will help sustain their hard-won growth—and profits.

Unbundling offerings, cross-selling distinctive experiences, and embracing data-powered strategies can all be winning moves. A series of insight-driven charts reveal significant trends and an outlook on the future.

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The future of tourism: Bridging the labor gap, enhancing customer experience

The promise of travel in the age of AI

From India to the world: Unleashing the potential of India’s tourists

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Travel App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)

Updated: May 16, 2024

The online travel booking industry was one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with some apps reporting more than 70 percent less traffic and bookings than 2019. 

It took two years for most online travel agencies, hotels, and airlines to see a return to form, although for some the levels of revenue and occupancy are still below 2019 figures. 

One of the ways Booking.com and Expedia have managed to maintain their market share is through the acquisition of competitor websites and apps. Booking owns Priceline.com, KAYAK, and Agoda, while Expedia Group has Orbitz, Travelocity, and Vrbo in its portfolio. 

Another way the duopoly has continued is through an expansion to services offered. Both Booking and Expedia have branched out into flights, car rental, experiences, taxis, and cruises. The model is similar across both platforms, with the OTA receiving a small commission for each booking.

The aim is to be a one-stop destination for a holiday, similar to how a travel agency pre-internet would organise the flight, transport, hotel, and events in a packaged holiday.

Airbnb has started this augmentation as well, with the introduction of Experiences in 2016. It also started to promote long-term stays in 2020, in response to the pandemic halting short-term travel. Transport and co-working services may be next on its list.

Even though Booking, Expedia and Airbnb are the three main platforms, there are others, such as Hopper, TripAdvisor and Trip.com. 

We have collected data and statistics on the online travel booking market. Read on below to find out more.

Key Travel App Statistics

• The travel app market generated $629 billion in revenue last year, a 13% increase on the previous year
• Booking generated the most revenue out of all online travel agencies in 2023
• Over 850 million people used a travel app in 2023
• Expedia holds a slight lead in the US market, at 19.3% market share
• Booking was the most downloaded travel app in 2023, with over 80 million downloads

Travel App Report 2024

Want to learn more about the travel app industry? In our Travel App report , we cover financials, usage, downloads, and demographics by age and gender, alongside market share, and benchmarks.

Top Travel Apps

Travel app revenue.

The travel app industry generated $629 billion revenue in 2022, with hotels and accommodation responsible for the majority of that.

Travel app global revenues 2016 to 2023 ($bn)

Travel revenue by app.

Booking Holdings remained the top online travel agency company in terms of revenue in 2023.

Travel booking app revenues 2017 to 2023 ($bn)

Travel app users.

Just over 850 million people used travel apps in 2023, another increase but still shy of 2019 levels.

Travel booking app users 2016 to 2023 (mm)

Travel app market share united states.

Expedia has a lead in the US market, however, Booking has been catching up in recent years.

Travel booking app market share in United States 2023 (%)

Travel app downloads.

Booking had the highest annual downloads worldwide, followed by Airbnb.

Travel booking downloads by app 2023 (mm)

More travel & local app data.

• Uber Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
• Expedia Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
• Airbnb Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
• Lyft Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
• Zillow Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
• Booking Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
• Taxi App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
• Hopper Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
• Vrbo Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
• what3words Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)

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Air Travel Consumer Report: March 2024 Numbers

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of March 2024 for on-time performance, mishandled baggage, mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, and 1st quarter oversales. The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines. 

For March 2024, 0.9% of flights were cancelled, lower than the 1.3% cancellation rate for March 2023 and the 2.0% cancellation rate for pre-pandemic March 2019.  

DOT expects that airlines will operate flights as scheduled and that when they do not, airlines will provide consumers the services promised when a flight is cancelled or delayed because of an airline issue. After a two-year DOT push to improve the passenger experience, the 10 largest airlines now guarantee meals and free rebooking on the same airline and nine guarantee hotel accommodations. Consumer-friendly information regarding airline commitments to their customers is available on the Department’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard at FlightRights.Gov . DOT also pushed airlines to provide fee-free family seating and rolled out a new family seating dashboard that highlights the airlines that guarantee fee-free family seating, and those of the 10 largest that do not, making it easier for parents to avoid paying junk fees to sit with their children when they fly.

DOT recently announced two final rules that require airlines to provide automatic cash refunds to passengers when owed and protect consumers from costly surprise airline fees . These rules will significantly expand consumer protections in air travel, provide passengers an easier pathway to refunds when owed, and save consumers more than half a billion dollars every year in hidden and surprise junk fees. Provisions of the final rule on airline refunds were fortified through the FAA reauthorization bill that President Biden signed into law on May 16, 2024.

In addition, DOT is improving transportation for individuals with disabilities. In July 2023, DOT finalized a rule which requires airlines to make lavatories on new, single-aisle aircraft more accessible. Then, in February 2024, DOT issued a proposal to address other barriers that Americans who use a wheelchair encounter when it comes to air travel by, among other things, proposing to mandate enhanced training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passenger with disabilities and handle passengers’ wheelchairs.

Further, when necessary, DOT takes enforcement action against airlines and ticket agents that fail to comply with the Department’s aviation consumer protection requirements. In 2023, DOT issued the largest fines in the history of the consumer protection office. This includes a $140 million penalty against Southwest Airlines for failing passengers during the 2022 holiday meltdown. That penalty, which was in addition to over $600 million DOT already ensured was refunded by Southwest to passengers, requires Southwest to establish a $90 million compensation system for passengers affected by significant delays and cancellations beginning April 30, 2024.  Additionally, DOT has helped return nearly $4 billion in refunds to travelers since the pandemic began.

In April, DOT announced the launch of the bipartisan Airline Passenger Protection Partnership with 18 state attorneys general to investigate airlines and ticket agents and hold them accountable when they violate aviation consumer protection laws. The partnership significantly expands the Department’s oversight capacity by establishing a new fast-track system prioritizing misconduct cases from state attorneys general who uncover unfair or deceptive airline practices. Through the partnership, DOT will provide state attorneys general with access to the federal complaint database and help ensure that airlines cooperate with state investigations.

Flight Operations

The 623,409 flights operated in March 2024 were 102.47% of the 608,387 flights operated in March 2023. Operated flights in March 2024 were up 2.47% year-over-year from the 608,387 flights operated in March 2023 and up 13.46% month-over-month from 549,439 flights operated in February 2024. 

In March 2024, the 10 marketing network carriers reported 628,786 scheduled domestic flights, 5,377 (0.9%) of which were cancelled. In February 2024, airlines scheduled 552,691 domestic flights, 3,252 (0.6%) of which were cancelled. In March 2023, airlines scheduled 616,234 domestic flights, 7,847 (1.3%) of which were cancelled.

March 2024 On-Time Arrival

In March 2024, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 78.7%, down from 83.7% in February 2024 and up from 75.4% in March 2023. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2024 is 78.3%.

Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates March 2024 (ATCR Table 1)

• Hawaiian Airlines – 87.2%
• Delta Air Lines Network – 84.8%
• United Airlines Network – 81.8% 

Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates March 2024 (ATCR Table 1)

• Frontier Airlines – 66.4%
• JetBlue Airways – 68.4%
• Spirit Airlines – 69.6%

For the first three months of 2024, the reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 78.31% up from 76.89% for the same period in 2023.

March 2024 Flight Cancellations

In March 2024, reporting marketing carriers cancelled 0.9% of their scheduled domestic flights, higher than the rate of 0.6% in February 2024 and lower than the rate of 1.3% in March 2023. The year-to-date cancellation rate for 2024 is 1.7%.

Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Cancelled Flights March 2024 (ATCR Table 6)

• Delta Air Lines Network – 0.2%  
• Hawaiian Airlines – 0.6%   
• Allegiant Air – 0.6%    

  Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Cancelled Flights March 2024 (ATCR Table 6)

• Frontier Airlines – 2.7%    
• Spirit Airlines – 1.7%    
• JetBlue Airways – 1.4%    

For the first three months of 2024, the reporting marketing carriers posted a cancellation rate of 1.7%, equal to 1.7% for the same period in 2023.

Complaints About Airline Service

The release of air travel service complaint data in the Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) has been delayed primarily because of the continued high volume of complaints against airlines and ticket agents received by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) and the time needed to review and process these consumer complaints. The Department is investing in modernizing its system for handling consumer complaints with the support of a Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) investment to improve the customer experience for the tens of thousands of consumers who use the system each year and enable OACP to more effectively engage in oversight of the airline industry. 

As DOT modernizes its system, given the continued high volume of air travel service complaints concerning airlines and ticket agents, DOT has revised how it processes consumer complaints received after June 1, 2023. From June 2023 until the date its system is modernized, DOT intends to revise the ATCR to display consumer submissions (complaints, inquiries, and opinions) as opposed to complaints for this period. The Department will continue to display civil rights complaints in the ATCR in a similar manner as before and anticipates publishing submission and civil rights complaint numbers for June 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 in June 2024.

Tarmac Delays

In March 2024, airlines reported six tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared to 10 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights reported in February 2024. In March 2024, airlines reported one tarmac delay of more than four hours on an international flight, compared to two tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights reported in February 2024. 

Airlines are required to have and adhere to assurances that they will not allow aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international flights without providing passengers the option to deplane, subject to exceptions related to safety, security, and Air Traffic Control related reasons. An exception also exists for departure delays if the airline begins to return the aircraft to a suitable disembarkation point to deplane passengers by those times.

The Department investigates extended tarmac delays.

Mishandled Baggage

In March 2024, reporting marketing carriers handled 43.1 million bags and posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.52%, higher than the rate of 0.48% in February 2024, but lower than the rate of 0.58% in March 2023.

For the first quarter of 2024, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.58%, lower than the first quarter 2023 rate of 0.64%.

The Department began displaying the mishandled baggage data as a percentage (i.e., per 100 bags enplaned) in January 2022. This is consistent with the manner that the mishandled wheelchairs and scooters rate is calculated and displayed.     In the prior three calendar year reports (2019 to 2021), the Department calculated the mishandled baggage rate based on the number of mishandled bags per 1,000 checked bags. 

Mishandled Wheelchairs and Scooters

In March 2024, reporting marketing carriers reported checking 65,793 wheelchairs and scooters and mishandling 859 for a rate of 1.31% mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, higher than the rate of 1.30% mishandled in February 2024 and lower than the rate of 1.33% mishandled in March 2023.

For the first quarter of 2024, the carriers posted a mishandled wheelchair and scooter rate of 1.36%, lower than the rate of 1.40% in the first quarter of 2023.

To address many of the significant barriers and challenges experienced by passengers who use wheelchairs, the Department has proposed a rulemaking that, if adopted as proposed would make it an automatic violation of the Department’s Air Carrier Access Act regulations for airlines to mishandle a passenger’s wheelchair. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would also enhance training requirements for airline personnel who provide hands-on transfer assistance to passengers and handle wheelchairs. The proposal is available at https://www.regulations.gov , docket number DOT-OST-2022-0144.

Bumping/Oversales

Bumping/oversales data, unlike other air carrier data, are reported quarterly rather than monthly. For the first quarter of 2024, the 10 U.S. reporting marketing carriers posted an involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, rate of 0.27 per 10,000 passengers, lower than both the rate of 0.29 in the first quarter of 2023 and higher than the rate of 0.20 in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Incidents Involving Animals

As part of its IT modernization, DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) is improving the options for covered carriers to submit their monthly and annual Reports on Incidents Involving Animals During Air Transport. While the new system is being developed, OACP is permitting covered carriers to delay submission of reports on incidents involving animals during air transport. Annual data on such incidents will be published when DOT receives carriers’ complete submissions of the 2023 data. 

In March 2024, carriers reported zero incidents involving the death, injury, or loss of an animal while traveling by air, down from the two reports filed in February 2024, and equal to the zero reports filed in March 2023.

Consumers may file air travel consumer or civil rights complaints online at   https://secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint , or they may mail a complaint to the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-70, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.

The ATCR and other aviation consumer matters of interest to the public can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .

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Air Travel Consumer Report: March 2024 Numbers

Contact:  [email protected]

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of March 2024 for on-time performance, mishandled baggage, mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, and 1st quarter oversales. The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines. 

For March 2024, 0.9% of flights were cancelled, lower than the 1.3% cancellation rate for March 2023 and the 2.0% cancellation rate for pre-pandemic March 2019.   

DOT expects that airlines will operate flights as scheduled and that when they do not, airlines will provide consumers the services promised when a flight is cancelled or delayed because of an airline issue. After a two-year DOT push to improve the passenger experience, the 10 largest airlines now guarantee meals and free rebooking on the same airline and nine guarantee hotel accommodations. Consumer-friendly information regarding airline commitments to their customers is available on the Department’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard at  FlightRights.Gov . DOT also pushed airlines to provide fee-free family seating and rolled out a new family seating dashboard that highlights the airlines that guarantee fee-free family seating, and those of the 10 largest that do not, making it easier for parents to avoid paying junk fees to sit with their children when they fly.

DOT recently announced two final rules that require airlines to  provide automatic cash refunds to passengers when owed  and  protect consumers from costly surprise airline fees . These rules will significantly expand consumer protections in air travel, provide passengers an easier pathway to refunds when owed, and save consumers more than half a billion dollars every year in hidden and surprise junk fees. Provisions of the final rule on airline refunds were fortified through the FAA reauthorization bill that President Biden signed into law on May 16, 2024.

In addition, DOT is improving transportation for individuals with disabilities. In July 2023, DOT finalized a rule which requires airlines to make lavatories on new, single-aisle aircraft more accessible. Then, in February 2024, DOT issued a proposal to address other barriers that Americans who use a wheelchair encounter when it comes to air travel by, among other things, proposing to mandate enhanced training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passenger with disabilities and handle passengers’ wheelchairs.

Further, when necessary, DOT takes enforcement action against airlines and ticket agents that fail to comply with the Department’s aviation consumer protection requirements. In 2023, DOT issued the largest fines in the history of the consumer protection office. This includes a $140 million penalty against Southwest Airlines for failing passengers during the 2022 holiday meltdown. That penalty, which was in addition to over $600 million DOT already ensured was refunded by Southwest to passengers, requires Southwest to establish a $90 million compensation system for passengers affected by significant delays and cancellations beginning April 30, 2024.  Additionally, DOT has helped return nearly $4 billion in refunds to travelers since the pandemic began.

In April, DOT announced the launch of the bipartisan Airline Passenger Protection Partnership with 18 state attorneys general to investigate airlines and ticket agents and hold them accountable when they violate aviation consumer protection laws. The partnership significantly expands the Department’s oversight capacity by establishing a new fast-track system prioritizing misconduct cases from state attorneys general who uncover unfair or deceptive airline practices. Through the partnership, DOT will provide state attorneys general with access to the federal complaint database and help ensure that airlines cooperate with state investigations.

Flight Operations

The 623,409 flights operated in March 2024 were 102.47% of the 608,387 flights operated in March 2023. Operated flights in March 2024 were up 2.47% year-over-year from the 608,387 flights operated in March 2023 and up 13.46% month-over-month from 549,439 flights operated in February 2024. 

In March 2024, the 10 marketing network carriers reported 628,786 scheduled domestic flights, 5,377 (0.9%) of which were cancelled. In February 2024, airlines scheduled 552,691 domestic flights, 3,252 (0.6%) of which were cancelled. In March 2023, airlines scheduled 616,234 domestic flights, 7,847 (1.3%) of which were cancelled.

March 2024 On-Time Arrival

In March 2024, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 78.7%, down from 83.7% in February 2024 and up from 75.4% in March 2023. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2024 is 78.3%.

Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates March 2024 (ATCR Table 1)

• Hawaiian Airlines – 87.2%
• Delta Air Lines Network – 84.8%
• United Airlines Network – 81.8% 

Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates March 2024 (ATCR Table 1)

• Frontier Airlines – 66.4%
• JetBlue Airways – 68.4%
• Spirit Airlines – 69.6%

For the first three months of 2024, the reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 78.31% up from 76.89% for the same period in 2023.

March 2024 Flight Cancellations

In March 2024, reporting marketing carriers cancelled 0.9% of their scheduled domestic flights, higher than the rate of 0.6% in February 2024 and lower than the rate of 1.3% in March 2023. The year-to-date cancellation rate for 2024 is 1.7%.

Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Cancelled Flights March 2024 (ATCR Table 6)

• Delta Air Lines Network – 0.2%  
• Hawaiian Airlines – 0.6%   
• Allegiant Air – 0.6%    

  Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Cancelled Flights March 2024 (ATCR Table 6)

• Frontier Airlines – 2.7%    
• Spirit Airlines – 1.7%    
• JetBlue Airways – 1.4%    

For the first three months of 2024, the reporting marketing carriers posted a cancellation rate of 1.7%, equal to 1.7% for the same period in 2023.

Complaints About Airline Service

The release of air travel service complaint data in the Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) has been delayed primarily because of the continued high volume of complaints against airlines and ticket agents received by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) and the time needed to review and process these consumer complaints. The Department is investing in modernizing its system for handling consumer complaints with the support of a Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) investment to improve the customer experience for the tens of thousands of consumers who use the system each year and enable OACP to more effectively engage in oversight of the airline industry. 

As DOT modernizes its system, given the continued high volume of air travel service complaints concerning airlines and ticket agents, DOT has revised how it processes consumer complaints received after June 1, 2023. From June 2023 until the date its system is modernized, DOT intends to revise the ATCR to display consumer submissions (complaints, inquiries, and opinions) as opposed to complaints for this period. The Department will continue to display civil rights complaints in the ATCR in a similar manner as before and anticipates publishing submission and civil rights complaint numbers for June 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 in June 2024.

Tarmac Delays

In March 2024, airlines reported six tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared to 10 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights reported in February 2024. In March 2024, airlines reported one tarmac delay of more than four hours on an international flight, compared to two tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights reported in February 2024. 

Airlines are required to have and adhere to assurances that they will not allow aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international flights without providing passengers the option to deplane, subject to exceptions related to safety, security, and Air Traffic Control related reasons. An exception also exists for departure delays if the airline begins to return the aircraft to a suitable disembarkation point to deplane passengers by those times.

The Department investigates extended tarmac delays.

Mishandled Baggage

In March 2024, reporting marketing carriers handled 43.1 million bags and posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.52%, higher than the rate of 0.48% in February 2024, but lower than the rate of 0.58% in March 2023.

For the first quarter of 2024, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.58%, lower than the first quarter 2023 rate of 0.64%.

The Department began displaying the mishandled baggage data as a percentage (i.e., per 100 bags enplaned) in January 2022. This is consistent with the manner that the mishandled wheelchairs and scooters rate is calculated and displayed.     In the prior three calendar year reports (2019 to 2021), the Department calculated the mishandled baggage rate based on the number of mishandled bags per 1,000 checked bags. 

Mishandled Wheelchairs and Scooters

In March 2024, reporting marketing carriers reported checking 65,793 wheelchairs and scooters and mishandling 859 for a rate of 1.31% mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, higher than the rate of 1.30% mishandled in February 2024 and lower than the rate of 1.33% mishandled in March 2023.

For the first quarter of 2024, the carriers posted a mishandled wheelchair and scooter rate of 1.36%, lower than the rate of 1.40% in the first quarter of 2023.

To address many of the significant barriers and challenges experienced by passengers who use wheelchairs, the Department has proposed a rulemaking that, if adopted as proposed would make it an automatic violation of the Department’s Air Carrier Access Act regulations for airlines to mishandle a passenger’s wheelchair. This  Notice of Proposed Rulemaking  would also enhance training requirements for airline personnel who provide hands-on transfer assistance to passengers and handle wheelchairs. The proposal is available at  https://www.regulations.gov , docket number DOT-OST-2022-0144.

Bumping/Oversales

Bumping/oversales data, unlike other air carrier data, are reported quarterly rather than monthly. For the first quarter of 2024, the 10 U.S. reporting marketing carriers posted an involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, rate of 0.27 per 10,000 passengers, lower than both the rate of 0.29 in the first quarter of 2023 and higher than the rate of 0.20 in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Incidents Involving Animals

As part of its IT modernization, DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) is improving the options for covered carriers to submit their monthly and annual Reports on Incidents Involving Animals During Air Transport. While the new system is being developed, OACP is permitting covered carriers to delay submission of reports on incidents involving animals during air transport. Annual data on such incidents will be published when DOT receives carriers’ complete submissions of the 2023 data. 

In March 2024, carriers reported zero incidents involving the death, injury, or loss of an animal while traveling by air, down from the two reports filed in February 2024, and equal to the zero reports filed in March 2023.

Consumers may file air travel consumer or civil rights complaints online at   https://secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint , or they may mail a complaint to the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-70, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.

The ATCR and other aviation consumer matters of interest to the public can be found at  https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .

Watch CBS News

How Trump's conviction could change the dynamics of the 2024 race

By Olivia Rinaldi , Jacob Rosen , Katrina Kaufman

Updated on: May 31, 2024 / 11:57 AM EDT / CBS News

Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his Manhattan criminal trial, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already unprecedented campaign.

As a c onvicted felon , Trump is not prevented from continuing to campaign for president , since the Constitution does not prohibit candidates from running for president even if they are convicted of a crime. In fact, there is precedent for a candidate running from behind bars: In 1920, Socialist Party candidate Eugene V. Debs ran for president from a federal penitentiary in Atlanta.

Trump is the first former U.S. president to be found guilty of felonies, and the first major party candidate to run for office after being found guilty of a crime. Here's how his conviction could change the 2024 campaign:

How Trump can campaign after his conviction

Now that he's convicted, Trump is all but certain to appeal the decision handed down by the jury, and he is likely to be able to return to the campaign trail as the process plays out. 

The next development in the case will come at sentencing, currently scheduled for July 11. Justice Juan Merchan has wide discretion over when sentencing occurs and what the punishment looks like. Trump faces a maximum of up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each of the 34 felony charges of falsification of business records. The sentencing options available to Merchan include prison, probation, conditional discharge, fines or house arrest.

The judge could put limitations on his travel, such as restricting Trump from leaving the state and taking his passport, but Merchan has said he doesn't want to interfere with his ability to campaign.

"I would think that the judge wouldn't dare interfere with his right to speak to the American public because it's the right of the voters to be informed as well," said John Coffee, a professor at Columbia Law School and an expert on corporate governance and white collar crime.

In a recent survey of dozens of cases brought by Manhattan District Attorney's Office in which falsifying business records was the most serious charge at arraignment, attorney and author Norm Eisen found that roughly one in 10 of those cases resulted in a sentence of incarceration.

"I think that is fascinating," said Caroline Polisi, a criminal defense attorney and professor at Columbia Law School. "A lot of commentators say the reason he won't be incarcerated is because the logistics of it with respect to the Secret Service would be too much. On the other hand, if you're saying he should be treated like any other defendant, we have a lot of data saying that 90% of other defendants would not get jail time in this situation."

The impact of the conviction on Trump's ability to campaign could largely hinge on what sentence Merchan ultimately hands down, and when Trump would serve it.

"In the context in which he is found guilty and then sentenced to no jail time, I don't think it's going to cause a bit of difference," added Polisi. "There might be some minor issues. He might not be able to vote for himself. But other than that, I don't think it's going to cause any problems."

When determining Trump's sentence, the judge could take into account his numerous gag order violations — which led Merchan to threaten him with jail time if the violations continued — and his lack of demonstrated remorse or respect for the legal system. Throughout the trial, Trump referred to Merchan as "conflicted" and "corrupt" and to the case itself as a "sham." 

"In New York, a 78-year-old defendant, who's a first time offender, committed a non-violent offense, and has an otherwise, well, distinguished record — in some regards being an ex-president is distinguished. In that kind of world, there'd be no chance of an incarceration sentence," said Coffee. Trump turns 78 on June 14. "They can use probation, they can use fines. But there may be a view of many judges that you have to show that no one's above the law, and even the future president should have a taste of prison."

Even if Merchan does order Trump to serve time behind bars, the sentence could be deferred until his appeal has run its course.

"In other cases, when you don't have someone running for the White House, it would be more or acceptable to put him immediately into incarceration," said Coffee. "You certainly could put special conditions on what he could do or put him under house arrest, but I think until we get to the actual election, we're going to have to let Donald Trump run around and campaign."

The conviction's possible impact on Trump's poll numbers and support

Trump has predicted that a conviction in this trial could boost his poll numbers. 

"Even if convicted, I think that it has absolutely no impact. It may drive the numbers up, but we don't want that. We want to have a fair verdict," Trump told CBS Pittsburgh in an interview earlier this month.

Trump's support among his Republican base has been remarkably resilient in the face of his various criminal cases. In the months following his four indictments last year, Trump maintained his commanding lead in the Republican primary, capturing the nomination despite the dozens of criminal charges he faced.

Many Trump supporters who CBS News has interviewed since the trial began have said a guilty conviction will not change how they vote in November, adopting the former president's grievances as their own.

"Stormy Daniels has already been reviewed and stuff. It's kind of coincidental," Michigan resident Lori Beyer said at a recent rally in Freeland, Michigan, adding she would vote for Trump regardless of the conviction. "I don't think it's going to impact it, as far as I'm concerned."

Whether a conviction changes the minds of voters who are not committed to the former president remains to be seen. A recent CBS News poll found that the majority of Americans believed Trump is "definitely or probably" guilty of the charges he faced in New York. The overwhelming majority of Democrats — 93% — believed Trump was guilty, while 78% Republicans said he was not. Independents were split, with 53% believing he was guilty and 47% saying he wasn't. 

Opinions about whether Trump was guilty or not were already highly partisan, according to Kabir Khanna, deputy director of elections and data analytics for CBS News. Most people who believed Trump was guilty also thought the jury would convict him, and vice versa. 

Additionally, Khanna said people who followed the trial closely were the most polarized in their views.

"Together, these factors could blunt the impact of the verdict on the views of an already divided public," Khanna said. "Some voters may be swayed by the news, but I wouldn't expect a sea change." 

Other polling supports that notion. A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey released Thursday found that 67% of registered voters nationwide said a Trump conviction would not make a difference in how they vote. Among independents, just 11% said a guilty verdict would make them less likely to vote for Trump.

The conviction also gives the Biden campaign a potentially potent new weapon in their arsenal: the ability to label Trump a convicted felon. Mr. Biden remained largely silent about the Trump trial while it was ongoing, but NBC News reported last week that he planned to become more aggressive about Trump's legal woes after the trial concluded, while acknowledging that Trump would be on the ballot regardless of how his legal cases played out.

Trump has used the trial to help boost his fundraising, and will likely look to capitalize on the conviction. The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee saw an influx of donations after jury selection began, with the two entities raising $76 million in April. His campaign had about $50 million cash on hand at the beginning of May as he prepared to get back out on the campaign trail after the trial.

The former president repeatedly used the developments in the trial to raise money, including when he was held in contempt for violating the gag order against him.

"I'd get arrested ONE MILLION TIMES before I'd let those filthy dogs get their hands on you," one typical fundraising appeal read. 

Trump's other criminal cases

The New York case might be the only one of Trump's four criminal prosecutions to reach a conclusion before voters cast their ballots in the fall, giving the guilty verdict added weight.

The two federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith remain in limbo. 

In Washington, D.C., Trump faces charges related to his actions to remain in power after the 2016 election. Trump has argued that he is immune from prosecution, and the Supreme Court is currently weighing his claim.

The high court heard arguments in the immunity dispute on April 26 and is expected to issue a decision on the matter before the end of the court's term, likely in June. If the case is allowed to move forward, there is a slim possibility that the district court could schedule the trial before November. If the justices side with Trump and find him immune from prosecution, the charges would be dropped.

In Florida, Trump faces federal charges stemming from his retention of classified documents after he left the White House. Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, has indefinitely postponed the trial. She ruled in early May that picking a trial date would be "imprudent and inconsistent with the court's duty to fully and fairly consider" numerous unresolved pre-trial motions. Those motions include Trump's efforts to dismiss the case altogether, as well as issues related to what classified information can be revealed at trial.

In the third case that remains outstanding, Trump faces state charges related to the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia. The trial in that matter is also on hold as Trump seeks to have District Attorney Fani Willis removed from the case. Georgia's Court of Appeals recently granted Trump's appeal of a decision that had allowed her to remain, bringing the trial to a temporary halt.

Trump's two federal cases could largely be in voters' hands if they are not resolved by November, a fact that raises his personal stake in the outcome. If he wins and returns to the White House in January 2025, Trump could order the Justice Department to seek to drop the charges altogether.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of the criminal cases against him.

• Donald Trump

More from CBS News

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Biden campaign ramps up efforts to flip moderate Republicans in 2024

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

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Traveler willingness to use an AI to help them plan future travel in the U.S. 2022

An April 2022 survey found that 44 percent of travelers in the United States were probably willing to use an artificial intelligence (AI), like ChatGPT, to help plan their future trips. Meanwhile, 12 percent of respondents were definitely not willing to use AI to plan future trips. 

Share of travelers willing to use an artificial intelligence (AI) like Chat GPT to help them plan future travel in the United States as of April 2022

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• Premium Statistic Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps in the U.S. 2023
• Basic Statistic American Customer Satisfaction Index for internet travel companies U.S. 2002-2024
• Premium Statistic American Customer Satisfaction Index for U.S. lodging companies 2008-2024, by company
• Premium Statistic U.S. hotel and motel industry market size 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of hotel jobs in the U.S. 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic ADR of hotels in the U.S. 2001-2022
• Premium Statistic Occupancy rate of the U.S. hotel industry 2001-2022
• Premium Statistic Revenue per available room of the U.S. hotel industry 2001-2022
• Premium Statistic Change in monthly number of hotel bookings in the U.S. 2020-2023
• Premium Statistic YoY monthly change in number of online hotel searches in the U.S. 2020-2023

Attractions

• Premium Statistic Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic U.S. amusement park industry market size 2011-2022
• Premium Statistic Landmarks most recommended visitors in the U.S. 2022

City tourism

• Basic Statistic City destinations with the highest direct travel and tourism GDP worldwide 2022
• Premium Statistic World's highest-priced business travel destinations Q4 2022
• Basic Statistic Selected cities with the highest hotel rates in the U.S. as of September 2023
• Basic Statistic Most affordable cities for backpacking in the U.S. 2024, by daily price
• Premium Statistic Average price per night of Airbnb listings in selected U.S. cities 2024
• Premium Statistic Number of Airbnb listings in selected U.S. cities 2024

Sustainable tourism

• Premium Statistic Travelers who find sustainable travel important in the U.S. 2022
• Premium Statistic Share of travelers that plan to make sustainable travel choices in the U.S. 2022
• Premium Statistic How much more travelers would pay to make a trip more sustainable in the U.S. 2022
• Premium Statistic U.S. consumers who have paid extra for sustainable travel in the past two years 2022
• Premium Statistic U.S. consumers willing to pay extra for a sustainable travel provider 2022
• Premium Statistic Share of U.S. travelers that feel guilty over non-eco-friendly past travel 2022
• Premium Statistic Reasons travelers were against staying in sustainable hotels in the U.S. 2022
• Premium Statistic Priorities when choosing a leisure travel destination in the U.S. 2023, by generation
• Premium Statistic Leading destinations travelers intend to visit in the next 12 months in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Trust in travel and hospitality brands in the U.S. 2023, by brand type
• Premium Statistic American Customer Satisfaction Index: travel and tourism industries in the U.S. 2024

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