statistics turnover tourism

By Bastian Herre, Veronika Samborska and Max Roser

Tourism has massively increased in recent decades. Aviation has opened up travel from domestic to international. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of international visits had more than doubled since 2000.

Tourism can be important for both the travelers and the people in the countries they visit.

For visitors, traveling can increase their understanding of and appreciation for people in other countries and their cultures.

And in many countries, many people rely on tourism for their income. In some, it is one of the largest industries.

But tourism also has externalities: it contributes to global carbon emissions and can encroach on local environments and cultures.

On this page, you can find data and visualizations on the history and current state of tourism across the world.

Interactive Charts on Tourism

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• Hospitality Industry

Hospitality Industry statistics to have on your radar 2024

November 01, 2023 •

11 min reading

The hospitality industry is a vast sector with many different categories that include recreation, lodging, entertainment, food and beverage which are constantly evolving. Due to the overwhelming amount of data available today, it has become increasingly challenging for industry players to gather all the necessary hospitality statistics to keep up with the latest trends. As a result, staying informed and up-to-date has become an impossible task.

Despite being an exhilarating career path with many avenues which demand a diverse skill-set , the hospitality industry is currently struggling to fill open positions. This is partly due to the changing nature of jobs and employee expectations. Customer needs and expectations have also evolved in recent times, largely off the back of the global pandemic of 2020 and 2021 which spurred a seismic shift in industry trends .

In the absence of access to data which tells a story, industry players are finding it increasingly challenging to optimize their social and digital strategies. This is especially problematic for hoteliers and destination marketers who are already overwhelmed with their day-to-day responsibilities.

In this comprehensive article, we have gathered a wealth of hospitality statistics and data that will equip you with the insights you need. Our goal is to empower you to harness the power of analytics in the hospitality industry to drive innovation, exceed customer expectations, and achieve remarkable value.

Numbers to take your business to the next level

Trends in the hospitality industry have always been in a state of flux because client demands are always shifting.

Understanding hospitality industry statistics allows you to properly equip yourself to handle your changed client needs for your business to grow rapidly in this new environment. They will help you know what you need to do to succeed and come up with strategies to take your business to the next level.

Current state of the Hospitality Industry

By examining general statistics, you can gain insights into the present condition of the hospitality industry and gain a glimpse into its future.

• The travel industry is poised for a robust comeback
• in 2024, bringing a ray of hope for hoteliers who have been eagerly awaiting positive signs. Room demand is set to reach an all-time high in 2024. STR, via (CoStar).
• Hotel occupancy will increase 2.5% globally next year.
• Hotel average daily rate (ADR) is projected to grow by 4.9% in the next 12 months. ( Siteminder).

The industry anticipates a steady growth rate

Industries such as hospitality, which were affected by COVID-19 safety measures, are seeing some impressive growth rates now that the restrictions are being relaxed worldwide. The statistics below indicate just how impressive the current and future growth rates are.

• The hospitality industry experienced a remarkable growth from $4,390.59 billion in 2022 to $4,699.57 billion in 2023, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.0%. This significant expansion is a testament to the industry's resilience and ability to bounce back from the challenges posed over recent years. ( Hospitality Global Market Report 2023)
• The projected growth of the global hospitality market is set to soar to a staggering $5,816.66 billion by 2027, with a remarkable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5%. ( Hospitality Global market report 2022 )

Growth trends in specific sub-sectors

Due to changes in consumer expectations, preferences and the rapid advancement of technology (among other factors), some areas in the hospitality industry are seeing a bigger growth rate than others. The statistics below shed light on these areas.

• The Online Food Delivery Market, which includes both Grocery Delivery and Meal Delivery services, experienced significant growth during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This market is projected to continue its upward trajectory with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2028) of 11.47%. As a result, the market volume is expected to reach a staggering US$1.79tn by 2028. (Statista).
• The bleisure market continues to rise —business trips which are extended for leisure purposed. The bleisure tourism market was estimated to be valued at nearly US$ 594.51 billion in 2023, and is predicted to continue to grow to $731.4 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 8.9% from 2023 to 2032. ( Future Market Insights).
• The global health and wellness market is estimated to reach almost seven trillion U.S. dollars by 2025. (Statista).

Key stakeholders' market share and consumer influence

Similar to the different growth rates in different areas in the same hospitality industry, not all players in the industry saw the same changes or are seeing the same growth rate. This is due to size, services, products and way of doing business. The statistics below highlight these differences.

• Airbnb's market value reached $92.11 billion in U.S. dollars in 2023, representing a significant increase from $54.13 billion the previous year. However, it has experienced a decline from its peak valuation in 2021, surpassing a staggering $100 billion. (Statista).
• Airbnb holds a commanding market share of over 20% in the vacation rental industry but it seems to be declining due to rising rental pricing and overwhelming choice of properties. ( HelpLama).
• Booking.com is the most valuable travel and tourism brand in the world, with a market capitlization of $9B. ( Companies Market Cap).
• As of 2023 Hilton is the most valuable hotel brand in the world, with a brand value of $11.7B in 2023, although the Wyndam group has the most properties. ( Brand Directory) .
• It is estimated that a further 2,707 hotels will open their doors globally in 2024. ( Statista )

Jobs & employment in Hospitality & Leisure

It goes without saying that as travel died down during the pandemic, so did jobs in the hospitality industry. Whilst travel restrictions are firmly a thing of the past, the hospitality jobs market has been slow to bounce back and is still recovering now. Many of those laid off workers in 2020 found more reliable jobs with better perks and more sociable hours elsewhere. When should we expect a full recovery? The statistics answer these questions best.

• The Travel and Tourism sector is expected to employ approximately 320 million individuals in 2023, showcasing a steady growth trend after experiencing a decline in numbers in 2020. This decline saw employment figures drop from 334 million in 2019 to 271 million. However, the industry is now on the path to recovery, with employment opportunities steadily increasing once again. ( Unilever ).
• Discover the types of jobs available in this exciting growth sector.
• Hotels will struggle with staffing shortages until 2025 when the industry is expected to make a true adjusted recovery. ( STR and Tourism Economics )
• Only 28% of hospitality workers are on full-time hours. ( Labour Market Insights) .

Travel & Tourism

If 2022 was the year travel returned following the pandemic, 2023 was all about making up for lost time and ticking off bucket list items. In short, there's a healthy outlook to the travel and tourism sector in 2024 and beyond. To better understand the current changes and future of travel and tourism, we have compiled the statistics below.

General Travel & Tourism industry statistics

The general travel and tourism statistics below show the current and future state of the travel and tourism sector as a whole.

• The projected market volume is set to reach an impressive US$1,063.00 billion by 2028, with revenue expected to display a steady annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2028) of 4.42%. ( Statista ).
• By 2028, online sales are projected to account for a staggering 76% of total revenue in the Travel & Tourism market. (Statista).

Growth trends in specific areas

The growth of the travel and tourism sector has been influenced by several factors including ease of access to information, an increase in the amount of paid leave, and rapid urbanization among others. Despite the pandemic slump, the industry is now doing well and is projected to do even better over the next few years, as indicated by the following statistics.

• Global tourism expenditure is projected to reach USD2 trillion, surpassing previous records driven by the strong demand for leisure travel. ( Euromonitor International ).
• As employees strive for a better work/life balance, the resurgence of business travel becomes a more intricate affair. In line with this shift, bleisure travel is poised to make a significant impact, with predictions indicating that it will soar to an impressive USD300 billion by 2024. This trend highlights the growing desire among professionals to combine work and leisure, creating a unique and enriching travel experience. ( Euromonitor International ).
• These 5 countries will be the fastest growing tourism destinations in 2024: Tunisia, Mexico, Morocco, Dominican Republic, and Sri Lanka. (Travel Off Path) .

Domestic vs. international travel

The statistics below help to better understand the "new traveler" whos is most likely planning 2 domestic trips and 2 international trips in 2024.

• International travel has rebounded post pandemic however going forward into 2024 it's clear that whilst consumer sentiment is very much in favor of international travel, domestic travel is much more budget friendly. ( Travel + Leisure ).
• Global business travel will fully recover by 2024. It is forecast to increase by 14% in 2022, with the US and China seeing the largest growth (30% each). ( Leslie Josephs )

Air, cruise & ground transport

The widespread adoption of the internet as a source of information, the ease of mobility and increased awareness of new destinations have brought significant changes to how consumers travel. The statistics below show how much travel has changed and what to expect.

• Global flight numbers were still below pre-pandemic levels at the end of 2023. According to the International Air Transport Association, global airlines anticipate that approximately 4.35 billion individuals took flights in 2023, a slight decrease from the 4.54 billion flyers in 2019.
• In the global airline industry, it was anticipated that 2023 brought in net profits of $9.8 billion, although these profits will come with a razor-thin net profit margin of 1.2%. ( Mint )
• Rail transport is set to experience exponential growth in 2024, emerging as the fastest-growing travel category worldwide with an impressive growth rate of 35.6% over the course of 2023-2024. ( Euromonitor International ).
• According to some travel experts, fly-to-the-meeting and fly-back-from-the-meeting day trips will stop being popular as more people prefer multi-day bleisure trips. ( SAP Concur Study of Global Business Traveler )

Jobs & employment in Travel & Tourism

As it was with all other sectors and industries, the travel and tourism sector experienced a labor shortage in 2023, but will it continue?

• Jobs in travel and tourism were still below pre-pandemic levels at the end of 2023 at a projected 320 million jobs. But with the growing demand for travel, jobs in this sector are set to rise to 430 million by 2033. ( Statista ).
• Candidates for these open positions have different expectations and priorities compared to those before the pandemic. They expect flexible working arrangements, skills training, and diversity and inclusion. Hotels will have to adapt to fill open positions. ( AHLA )
• New positions are opening up that are centred around digitalization, technology and sustainability .

Demographic statistics: Who's travelling in 2024?

Different segments play different roles in the travel and tourism industry. To fine-tune your digital strategy, you have to know your target market well and understand what they expect when they travel. Here are a few stats that show some key domgraphics that may be relevant to your business.

• In the modern era, travel has become increasingly digitalized, with 67% of consumers projected to make their travel bookings online in the year 2024.
• An interesting trend among post-pandemic travelers is the shift towards a younger demographic, with millennials (aged 30-44) comprising the largest portion of Wellness Worshippers, Leisure Seekers, Luxury Seekers, and Digital Travelers, as revealed by Euromonitor's Voice of the Consumer: Travel Survey. This highlights the changing preferences and behaviors of travelers in the modern era.
• Luxury Seekers are most commonly found in countries across the Middle East and Asia Pacific, while Eco-Adventurers tend to be prevalent in both Asia Pacific and Europe. On the other hand, Cultural Explorers are predominantly found in various countries throughout Europe.
• There is expected to be a 15% growth in sales of sports tourism packages sold through travel intermediaries from 2023 to 2024. ( Euromonitor International ).

Hospitality & Travel is evolving at speed

In 2024, the hospitality and travel sectors will be evolving at a rate of knots. Vacant positions and shifting consumer preferences define the landscape. Seamless online booking is now a necessity, just the beginning of a guest-centric approach. Elevating the experience means personalized on-site services, setting leaders apart.

Yet, beyond technology lies a deeper need—embracing diversity and inclusion as fundamental values. To cater to the evolving traveler, a blend of high-tech solutions and high-touch experiences aligning with their beliefs is vital. Statistics serve as signposts in this transformative journey. Adaptability is the key to survival, while a comprehensive guest journey and commitment to diversity steer success.

Amidst change, strategies demand recalibration. Embrace adaptability, shape a holistic guest experience, and embed diversity and inclusion into your brand. These principles navigate the industry toward leadership in the evolving hospitality and travel landscape of 2024.

Keep reading

Navigating challenges of AI and maximizing value in the service sector

Apr 16, 2024

11 essential hospitality skills for career success (& resume tips)

Apr 15, 2024

Unlocking AI in Hospitality SMEs: Q&A with Ian Millar

Apr 11, 2024

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Tourism industries - economic analysis

Data extracted in March 2023

Planned article update: 29 April 2024

Number of enterprises: evolution for different sectors of the economy, 2012-2020

• Source: Eurostat (online data code: sbs_na_sca_r2, sbs_na_1a_se_r2)

This article presents the most recent available statistics on the tourism industries in the European Union (EU) . While tourism statistics focus on either the accommodation sector (data collected from accommodation service providers) or the demand side (data collected from households), and relate mainly to physical flows (arrivals or nights spent at tourist accommodation or trips made by residents of a country), the analysis in this article is based on economic data extracted from other areas of official statistics, in particular, structural business statistics (SBS) and short-term business statistics (STS) . Thus, a more complete economic analysis of the tourism sector or tourism ecosystem can be drawn, which is an important motor for many countries' economies and labour markets.

" International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 " lists ten internationally comparable activities and two country-specific ones for the tourism sector, also called "tourism industries" or "tourism characteristic activities". This article focuses on a subset of these that has relevance for the EU (the other activities proved to be of limited relevance for European tourism or have limited coverage in SBS).

The reader is strongly encouraged to consult the "Data sources" section before using the presented data, in order to avoid overestimating or underestimating the economic importance of tourism for some industries.

Full article

Key economic indicators.

The discussion below refers to four selected indicators: number of enterprises , number of persons employed , turnover and value added at factor cost – firstly at EU level, secondly at country level.

In 2020, almost one in ten enterprises in the EU non-financial business economy belonged to the tourism industries (see Table 1, Table 2). These 2.3 million enterprises employed 10.9 million persons, accounting for 8.5 % of the persons employed in the non-financial business economy and 20.6 % of persons employed in the services sector.

The tourism industries' shares of total turnover and value added at factor cost were relatively lower, with the tourism industries accounting for 2.5 % of the turnover and 3.6 % of the value added of the non-financial business economy. These figures very likely reflect - among other explanations - the higher share of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and the level of part-time employment in many tourism industries.

As explained in the "Data sources" section, tourism industries do not provide services only to tourists. Their employment, turnover, etc., is also related to services provided to non-tourists. In Table 1 and Table 2, the subdivision "mainly tourism" and "partially tourism" takes this into account. For instance, 2.6 million persons are employed in "mainly tourism" industries (passenger air transport, accommodation services and travel agencies and tour operators) that are assumed to serve predominantly tourists, while 8.3 million persons are employed in "partially tourism" industries where the customers are likely to be a mix of tourists and non-tourists (e.g. restaurants).

Figure 1 presents the growth of the sectors from 2012 to 2020. In the period up to 2019, tourism industries (mainly and partially) showed a much stronger growth than the total economy for all indicators concerned. But in 2020, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic caused dramatic drops of the turnover and value added of the tourism industries (-41.0 % and -40.1 % respectively, comparing 2020 with 2019). The number of persons employed in the tourism industries and the number of enterprises dropped less strongly, but still recorded levels that were respectively 2.8 % and 13.5 % lower in 2020 compared with 2019) (see Table 3).

Analysis by subsectors

Three out of four enterprises in the tourism industries operated in accommodation (NACE I55) or food and beverage serving activities (NACE I56): 15 % and 60 %, respectively (see Table 1, Table 2, Figure 2). Looking at the number of persons employed, the weight of these activities was 77 % persons employed in the tourism industries. However, in terms of turnover and value added, their share was much lower (53 % and 54 %, respectively).

The turnover of passenger transport related industries (parts of NACE H49, H50, H51) represented 24 % of the turnover for all tourism industries: 32 % of this share came from the subsector of passenger air transport (NACE H5110).

Travel agencies and tour operators (NACE N7910) and other related activities (NACE N7990) recorded a turnover of €41 billion in 2020, a decrease by €107 billion (-72 %) compared with 2019. These activities represented 7 % of the turnover in tourism industries, compared with a 4 % share in number of enterprises and employment, and a 2 % share in value added at factor cost.

Geographical analysis

More than half (54 %) of the 2.3 million enterprises in the tourism industries in the EU in 2020, were located in four Member States: 368 000 in Italy, 349 000 in France, 291 000 in Spain (not including taxi operation) and 238 000 in Germany (see Table 4).

Looking at the available EU Member States' data, in terms of employment (see Table 5), Germany (not including passenger inter-urban rail transport) was on top with 2.0 million persons employed in the tourism industries, followed by Italy (1.5 million) and Spain (1.4 million, not including taxi operation) (note that there is no data available for France).

The highest share of employment in the tourism industries was observed in Greece (24 % of the total non-financial business economy of the country), followed by Cyprus (17 %) (note that data on total employment in the tourism industries is missing for a significant number of countries).

The availability of country data on turnover and value added is also fragmented (see Table 6 and Table 7).

Turnover amounted to €117 billion for Germany (not including inter-urban passenger rail transport ), followed by Italy (€76 billion) and Spain (€59 billion, not including taxi operation) (note that there is no data available for France).

In terms of value added the first three countries were the same: Germany, with €56 billion (not including passenger rail transport), followed by Italy (€26 billion) and Spain (€19 billion, not including taxi operation) (note that there is no data available for France). The highest shares of value added in the tourism industries in the total non-financial business economy of the country were observed in Austria, Malta, Croatia, Cyprus and Greece (all above 4 %).

Infra-annual analysis

The above analysis was based on structural business statistics (SBS). While SBS is a rich and comprehensive source of information on European businesses, these statistics are only provided annually. Compared with other sectors of the economy, the tourism sector has a relatively strong seasonal component, hence the need to look at infra-annual data to complete the analysis. Short-term business statistics provide monthly and quarterly indices for a subset of tourism industries. For the analysis in this article, an aggregate was created including NACE divisions H51 (Air travel), I55 (Accommodation) and N79 (Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities).

Figure 3 shows for the EU above mentioned tourism industries, the quarterly evolution of the turnover, seasonally adjusted or working days adjusted, for the years 2007 to 2022 (index: average 2015 = 100). The graph shows a positive trend that was interrupted from the fourth quarter of 2008 (global financial crisis) until mid-2010 when the turnover started to increase again. The upwards trend continued until spring 2020. After the travel restrictions implemented in March and April 2020 in response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the turnover of tourism industries dropped sharply in the second quarter of 2020. In spring and summer 2021 many restrictions were raised and travelling became easier. In 2022 the turnover shows clear signs of recovery, reaching and even surpassing the pre-pandemic levels.

The overall situation at EU level shown in Figure 3 aggregates data from countries with a very different seasonal profile. Figure 4 shows, for the years 2015 to 2022, the quarterly working days adjusted turnover for the above mentioned group of tourism industries for the countries which present the highest (Cyprus and Greece) and the lowest (Belgium and Luxembourg) seasonality in terms of turnover, as well as for the EU as a whole. Note that the atypical pattern for Luxembourg, with continued growth in 2020-2022, was mainly driven by the growth in the non-tourism related activity "freight air transport and space transport" (unpublished data).

Figure 5a focuses on 2022 and shows a clear recovery in the turnover in these tourism industries. At EU level, the highest increases compared with the same periods of 2021 were recorded in the first quarter, when the turnover increased by 175 % compared with the first quarter of 2021. The turnover increased also in the next quarters: +167 % in the second quarter, +57 % in the third quarter and +44 % in the fourth quarter. The big increases in the first two quarters of 2022 reflect the relatively low activity levels in the first two quarters of 2021. The lower increases in the second half of the year can be explained by the recovery starting already in 2021 (see Figure 5b). The highest increases in the second half of 2021 were Cyprus, Spain and Greece.

Figure 6 shows for the period January 2015 to December 2022, the monthly evolution of the working days adjusted turnover in EU accommodation, and the nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments (index: average 2015 = 100). As expected, the two series follow a similar pattern in terms of peak and trough periods; however, the variability appears to be more pronounced for the physical flows (nights spent) as compared with the monetary flows (turnover). This graph clearly shows the sharp drop in March and April 2020 when many hotels were closed. Despite the partial recovery during the summer months of 2020, the turnover and the nights spent in tourist accommodation remained at very low levels compared with the previous years. The first signs of recovery appeared in May 2021, while in April 2022 the turnover reached the pre-pandemic levels.

Data sources

Structural business statistics (SBS) are a main component of business statistics in the European Statistical System (ESS) and describe the structure, main characteristics and performance of economic activities across the European Union. Data is available at a detailed level of economic activities, which allow for the identification and selection of industries that are part of the tourism sector. According to the International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 the tourism sector (also: 'tourism industries' or 'tourism characteristic activities') includes ten internationally comparable activities and two country-specific activities – this article focuses on the former. An overview of these activities (and the corresponding codes in the international classifications ISIC and NACE) is given in Table 8. All these activities are covered by SBS, except for culture, sports and recreation.

This article uses a fine-tuned list of the tourism industries, better adapted to the European setting and avoiding overestimations of the economic variables. Activities omitted include "other accommodation" (NACE 5590), "other food service activities" (NACE 5629) and "real estate activities" (NACE 68), these activities are not sufficiently related to tourism to justify their inclusion in the current analysis.

Existing business statistics (SBS, STS) cannot distinguish between services provided to tourists and to non-tourists – typical examples include restaurants catering to tourists but also to locals and railway passenger transport used by tourists as well as by commuters. For this reason, this analysis considers these industries in their totality. Considering the total turnover or employment overestimates the true economic importance of tourism for these industries, but on the other hand, tourism also contributes to other industries not listed in Table 8. The approach used in this article should not be confused with the methodological framework to compile tourism satellite accounts (TSA); the most recent Eurostat statistical report on TSA in Europe is available from the Eurostat website.

Notwithstanding these shortcomings, SBS data allow for an economic analysis of the sector which is not possible using only tourism statistics. A second relevant source within existing business statistics is short-term business statistics (STS). STS can fill the gap of information on turnover or prices where monthly accommodation statistics are limited to evolutions in flows of tourists. As a trade-off with its strong timeliness , STS is available with a lower granularity of activities for services; as a consequence the further analysis of monthly economic indicators focuses on air transport (NACE H51), accommodation (NACE I55) and travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities (NACE N79).

Source data for tables and graphs

Following its communication " A new industrial strategy for Europe " (March 2020), the Commission will systematically analyse the risks and needs of different industrial ecosystems. The notion of ecosystem captures the complex set of interlinkages among sectors and firms spreading across countries in the Single Market. Ecosystems encompass all players operating in a value chain: from the smallest start-ups to the largest companies, from academia to research, together with the forces that shape the market environment in which they operate.

Tourism is one of the 14 ecosystems identified, each with its own set of sectors that should cover the entire economic industrial landscape. The tourism ecosystem is a network of globalised and interconnected value chains of both online and offline tourism services providers, where small companies operate along with large multinational corporations.

The green transformation of industry supported by the Strategy will reduce the environmental footprint of our industrial activities and empower industry to provide effective solutions for the societal challenges of the future such as sustainable tourism.

Tourism statistics focus on the accommodation sector on the one hand and the demand side (from households) on the other hand. ESS tourism statistics relate mainly to physical flows: arrivals or nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments or trips made by residents of a country.

This article presents economic data extracted from other areas of official business statistics, in particular structural business statistics (SBS) and short-term business statistics (STS) , in order to provide users with a better economic analysis of this sector, which is an important motor for many countries' economies and labour market.

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• Tourism industries - employment
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• Structural business statistics (SBS)
• Methodological manual for tourism statistics
• Structural business statistics introduced
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• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1051/2011 of 20 October 2011 implementing Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 concerning European statistics on tourism, as regards the structure of the quality reports and the transmission of the data.
• Summaries of EU legislation: Tourism statistics
• Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2011 concerning European statistics on tourism and repealing Council Directive 95/57/EC.
• Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/1681 of 1 August 2019 amending Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning European statistics on tourism, as regards the transmission deadlines and adaptation of Annexes I and II.
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Hit the Road, America: Exploring Trends and Insights for Travel and Tourism in the US in 2023

Appinio Research · 09.11.2023 · 19min read

Is life a pendulum constantly swinging between the PTO (paid time off) you just had and the next PTO you’re going to request?

Luckily for you, the Appinio Hype Tracker is here to sweeten this in-between time.

The travel industry is an interesting one as it has seen its fair share of changes and challenges in recent years. From the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the growing awareness of sustainability concerns, there's much to unpack. We'll delve into the heart of these matters and provide you with a detailed look at how American travelers are navigating this dynamic landscape.

Appinio has surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1000 Americans, and investigated everything from travel frequencies and accommodation preferences to the burning questions about sustainability and the overtourism phenomenon. By the end of this blogpost, you'll have a comprehensive overview of the state of the US travel and tourism industry in 2023, and a wealth of statistics, facts, and insights to keep you informed and inspired.

Key takeaways from the Appinio Hype Tracker Report on travel & tourism

Big on domestic travel  Domestic travels keep driving the industry in the US. American holidaymakers keep exploring the wonders of their home country. Travel behavior in 2023 Soaring inflation led to reduced travel frequency and closer-to-home destinations. Travel companions varied, with family travels being the most common ones. Off-peak travel gained popularity, offering quieter and more affordable experiences. Sustainability and climate-conscious travel American travelers are starting to place importance on sustainability in their travel decisions. Many seem to be willing to pay more for climate-friendly options when traveling, i.e. paying more for accommodations. However, there is a reluctance to limit air travel, possibly due to short PTO and the desire for longer, more relaxing vacations.

💡 Ready for take-off? Then download the Hype Tracker Report for free!

Download the Appinio Hype Tracker Report on Travel & Tourism with Jonas Upmann from HomeToGo

Status quo of the travel & tourism industry in the US

The travel and tourism industry is dynamic by nature and is constantly shaped by factors such as global events, evolving consumer preferences, and technological advancements. But since the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry has been struggling to find its footing, we could say, it got long covid.

Domestic leisure travelers have historically accounted for the majority of travel spending throughout the country. In 2021, the total direct travel spending of domestic leisure travelers in the US amounted to 751 billion US dollars. Meanwhile, during that same year, international travel spending in the US amounted to only 40 million, Statista says.

The firm has also projected that the revenue in the Travel & Tourism market is to reach US$190.40bn in 2023, and that revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 3.17%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$215.70bn by 2027.

Travel behavior of American holidaymakers in 2023

Yet US holidaymakers are undeterred.

The disruption of travel altogether and business-as-usual practices was so profound that issues emerged during the pandemic that keep interfering with travelers till this day. American travelers had to fight with higher prices than usual, cancellations, long waits and poor customer service: the airline industry is still struggling to catch up to this newly found hunger for travel. According to Forbes Advisor : “Now that we’ve made it through the initial push of revenge travel , there’s reason for travel demand to slow down. Continuing inflation, mass layoffs and a potential recession are impacting households.”

Misery loves company, right?

The Appinio Hype Tracker Report shows that

• 46% (strongly) agree that due to inflation, they reduced the number of trips they made this year.
• 44% (strongly) agree that due to inflation, they chose holiday destinations closer to home.

Domestic vs. international travel

The debate between domestic and international travel remains at the forefront of travel decisions. 

But Americans have made up their mind a long time ago: domestic travel beats international travel.

Nevertheless, international travel kept its allure.

Travelers seek adventures and sunshine abroad, as demonstrated by 37% of American holidaymakers having gone / going to international destinations.

The Appinio Hype Tracker data also show an interesting difference between age groups: Baby Boomers are the most likely to travel domestically (73%), while Gen Z the most likely to travel internationally (46%).

Long vs. short haul

The choice between long-haul and short-haul destinations is another important aspect of travel behavior. 

Is a weekend enough to unwind or are Americans packing anti-jet-lag remedies with them?

It looks like Americans seem to prefer short trips (56%), the convenience and cost-effectiveness could be factors travelers take into account. 

On the other hand, the promise of far-flung adventures, cultural exploration, and new experience continues to captivate a significant portion of American travelers (44%).

The Appinio Hype Tracker data also show an interesting difference between age groups once again: 45-54 years-olds are the most likely to do short trips (60%), while Gen Z are the most likely to do long trips (48%).

Travelling in company

American holidaymakers exhibit diverse preferences when it comes to companionship during their journeys. 

• Family vacations remain a cherished tradition for 36% of American travelers, 35-44 years-olds are the most likely to travel with family (42%).
• 26% of American holidaymakers traveled or will travel solo this 2023, Baby Boomers seem the most likely to do so (30%).
• Couples seeking romantic getaways are a substantial portion of travelers, 20% of American travelers do so. Baby Boomers are the most likely to travel with their significant other (33%).
• Group travel seems to be the least popular option, as only 17% had done so. Gen Z are the most likely to travel with a group (24%).

Peak season vs. off-peak

Travel patterns in 2023 reflect a noteworthy trend where American consumers are increasingly looking beyond the traditional peak season. 

Nearly one in two (49%) are more inclined to travel off-peak . This means that many travelers are exploring the charm of destinations during the quieter months, taking advantage of smaller crowds and often more affordable prices.

Booking habits

The way Americans book their trip has evolved, reflecting the digital age's influence. 

Over the years, there has been a significant shift towards online platforms and apps for booking flights, accommodations, and activities. These platforms offer convenience, a wide range of choices, and often competitive prices, in fact nearly two thirds (63%) of US travelers have been booking their accommodation online, both desktop and mobile. 

However, traditional travel agencies still hold sway with a portion of the population (29%), especially for those who value personalized service and expert advice.

💡 Need more insights to feed your roadmap to your holiday?

Americans’ accommodation preferences

Accommodation is a critical piece of any travel puzzle.

Will the bed be comfortable enough, or are the pillows as hard as your mum’s comments on your new haircut? Is the location nice and quiet, or would you need earplugs to be able to sleep? How are the vibes at the reception, is the staff helpful or are they scrolling on TikTok all day long?

These are all legitimate questions that every traveler asks themselves when booking an accommodation, hoping they haven’t been scammed!

Let’s deep dive into their habits and trends and understand what they are looking for.

Accommodation

When it comes to accommodation, American travelers display a wide spectrum of preferences. 

• Traditional hotels continue to be a top choice for 72%, offering a combination of comfort and amenities. 
• Vacation rentals like AirBnB or HomeToGo, and resorts come both in second (38%).
• B&B ranked third at 27%.

When it comes to vacation rentals, vacation homes are the most popular choice (59%), followed by beach houses (56%), the latter ones being a must for 45-54 years-olds at 66%.

Cabins & cottages rank third (48%), but they are the go-to for Baby Boomers (52%).

Alternative lodging options

Beyond the conventional choices, travelers are increasingly embracing alternative and unconventional accommodations. Tiny houses , often nestled in picturesque natural settings, provide a cozy and minimalistic escape. Houseboats offer a unique way to stay right on the water, allowing travelers to drift off to sleep with the gentle sway of the waves. 

These alternative options cater to those seeking an offbeat and memorable stay. However, these options are not often used by US travelers, 67% of them say they never used alternative lodging.

Despite looking like the cutest thing on earth, these accommodations often have limited space, making them less suitable for larger groups and extended stays. Comfort and amenities may not match traditional lodging, and accessibility, privacy, seasonal limitations can be factors to weigh. Safety, sanitation, and lack of standardization are also concerns, while high demand during peak travel times may affect booking availability.

Factors influencing accommodation choices

The factors influencing accommodation choices are multifaceted. 

• Budget considerations play a crucial role, 70% travelers seeking affordability when booking an accommodation.
• Location , proximity to attractions, and the ease of transportation are also key factors for 63%.
• Comfort , of course, makes it to the third place with 43% looking for a comfortable and pleasant accommodation to relax after a day of exploration.
• 39% look for the amenities like pools, gym or pet-friendly lodging, meaning that travelers are not satisfied with “just a place to sleep” anymore.
• One third (32%) decide after careful research and take into account reviews and ratings .

Willingness to pay for premium amenities

Many (41%) American travelers are increasingly willing to invest in premium amenities that enhance their overall travel experience. These amenities can include spa services, fine dining, private pools, and more. The willingness to pay extra for such features demonstrates a desire for a higher level of comfort and indulgence during their trips.

💡 Packing for your trip? Then don't forget to download the Hype Tracker Report for free!

Insights into Americans’ climate-conscious choices when travelling

As the travel industry in the United States evolves, one significant transformation is the increasing importance of sustainability in travel decisions. American travelers are now placing a greater emphasis on making environmentally responsible choices, from their accommodation to their mode of transportation.

Willingness to pay more for climate-friendly options

More than two thirds (67%) of travelers are willing to pay a premium / additional fee to choose a more climate friendly travel option. The desire to minimize the carbon footprint of their journeys has become a driving force behind their travel decisions. However, when asked exactly how they’d like to contribute to a more sustainable way of travel:

• 48% would be willing to pay higher prices for accommodations ,
• 35% would be willing to pay higher prices for transport ,
• 17% would be willing to pay higher city taxes .

Efforts to be more climate-friendly

As climate change awareness continues to grow, some American travelers are contemplating the need to limit their journeys for climate reasons.

One third (33%) state they have been trying to reduce the number of their trips in order to be climate-friendly, but the striking majority doesn’t think of refraining from traveling when and how much they want/can.

Willingness to limit travel for climate reasons

A small portion of travelers is willing to reduce their travel frequency or travel shorter distances to minimize their carbon footprint.

And, when asked whether they’ll be willing to travel only once a year by plane, American holidaymakers were split, with 47% saying they wouldn’t want to limit their air travel.

Unsurprisingly, Gen Z, the most vocal generation about climate change and the need to tackle the climate crisis as fast as possible, seem the most likely to be wanting to limit their travel. While Millennials seem the least likely to be limiting their air travel.

All considered, it is clear that this unwillingness to limit their air travel goes deeper than not wanting to be climate friendly. Consumers may not want to give up air travels for multiple reasons: 

• PTO is often short, so having to spend more time traveling by train or car could actually shorten the holiday and dampen the relaxation effect a holiday is supposed to give.
• For those living in one state or country but having family or business ties in another, air travel is often the most practical way to stay connected.
• Air travel opens up opportunities for adventure and exploration, allowing people to discover new places and create memorable experiences.

The overtourism phenomenon

As travel and tourism continue to thrive in the United States, the concept of overtourism has started to make an appearance. 

Overtourism represents a complex challenge, where the popularity of a destination can sometimes lead to adverse consequences, including overcrowding, environmental degradation, and cultural erosion.

Awareness of overtourism phenomenon

Overtourism has become a buzzword in the world of travel only recently. 

In fact the majority (62%) of Americans have never heard of this term and 23% heard of the term but aren't sure of what that means.

It is clear that not many are aware of the challenges posed by overtourism, which often involves crowded destinations, environmental degradation, and strained local resources, and how this phenomenon will be changing the travel & tourism industry. 

Many popular destinations like Florence , Venice (Italy) and Mount Fuji (Japan) are thinking of introducing a set number of visitors per day to limit disruptions. The city of Florence has even introduced an Airbnb ban in the city center, as vacation rentals were robbing residents of housing.

Other regulatory measures are visitor quotas, limited access to sensitive areas, and the implementation of tourist taxes to manage the influx of visitors.

It’s clear that economies heavily dependent on tourism are now starting to see the dark side of the tourists influx and are starting to think of measures for preserving the integrity of the destination and ensuring a positive experience for both travelers and local residents.

Attitudes toward measures to combat overtourism

In response to the overtourism phenomenon, American travelers exhibit a range of attitudes and opinions regarding the measures to combat it.

Nearly one in two (45%) Americans (strongly) agree with implementing measures against overtourism. However, and funnily enough, they wouldn’t be willing to pay higher city taxes (previous slide), an extremely popular measure that most saturated holiday destinations have introduced.

The overtourism phenomenon is an issue that is still failing to capture the attention of American travelers, and their attitudes towards addressing it reflect their lack of knowledge.

New trends shaping the travel and tourism industry

The world of travel and tourism has been always witnessing fascinating transformations and several trends have been shaping the industry. 

Luckily, we had an amazing expert to guide us and make sense of the travel and tourism industry: Jonas Upmann from HomeToGo , the marketplace with the world's largest selection of vacation homes.

Jonas is the Head of Consumer Communications, with expertise across content marketing, PR (digital and traditional), and SEO, alongside more than eight years of experience in one of Berlin’s leading travel tech companies, Jonas is a seasoned industry professional and a true travel expert. Additionally, Jonas has lectured in PR at the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin, and is employed as a guest lecturer for content marketing at the Swiss Zurich University of Applied Sciences with a focus on storytelling and the distribution of content. Combining a classic PR background with modern inbound marketing techniques, Jonas' focus at HomeToGo is driving impactful coverage of HomeToGo and the HomeToGo Group's brands on top domains, creating brand awareness and SEO visibility to increase organic traffic.

Jonas gave us insights on the newest and hottest trends in the travel and tourism industry.

• One such trend that's gained immense traction is the habit of booking trips well in advance . American consumers are showing a very high level of curiosity and awareness when it comes to planning their journeys, and the buzz surrounding this trend is the biggest recorded by the Appinio Hype Tracker. The idea of securing travel plans ahead of time is a hot topic of discussion in consumer circles, reflecting multiple consumers' needs, being cost-effective in this difficult financial period, but also having something to look forward to. 
• Domestic travel is a very big hype for Americans. This is the second biggest hype for buzz, and level of curiosity and awareness are also very high. This is explained by the bond Americans have with their country and their desire to keep exploring the United States.
• Saving money by cooking in a vacation rental vs. dining out seem to win Americans’ favor. It is the third biggest hype for buzz. The data reveals an interesting pattern where the trend of cooking at a vacation rental to save money versus dining out with high levels of curiosity and awareness. This suggests that the concept of saving money by preparing meals at a vacation rental resonates with a broad demographic spectrum and being on holiday doesn’t necessarily mean always dining out.

In the ever-evolving realm of travel and tourism, consumers are the biggest players, continually adapting to global shifts, emerging trends, and shifting priorities. The Appinio Hype Tracker Report on the status travel and tourism industry in 2023 has uncovered a rich tapestry of experiences, choices, and attitudes among travellers. From the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgence of domestic tourism, the rise of sustainability consciousness, and the complexities of overtourism, travellers are embracing change with resilience and vigour. Looking forward to the travel landscape for 2024, it becomes clear that today's travellers are adapting faster than ever and keep looking for adventures, far away and closer to home. And these travellers will always find the right accommodation for every type of trip at HomeToGo.

💡 What else are fellow travellers discussing when planning their holiday? Find out on the Hype Tracker!

In the ever-evolving realm of travel and tourism, the United States stands as a dynamic player, continually adapting to global shifts, emerging trends, and shifting priorities. 

The Appinio Hype Tracker Report on the US travel and tourism industry in 2023 has uncovered a rich tapestry of experiences, choices, and attitudes among American travelers. From the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the resurgence of domestic tourism, the rise of sustainability consciousness, and the complexities of overtourism, American travelers are embracing change with resilience and vigor.

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U.S. Travel & Tourism Statistics 2020-2021

The ultimate fact guide to america's tourism industry including outbound, inbound, domestic & business travel figures..

The American tourism industry is thriving, International and domestic travel is currently contribution over $1.1 trillion to the United States GDP every year. When looking at the annual travel split of domestic and international travel, Americans domestically traveling within the country last year made up the lion's share, totaling 2.29 Billion, a 2% increase from the previous year. Following past US tourism trends, the volume of Americans outbound traveling internationally was of course much less, amounting to 79.6 Million, which was a 3.5% increase from the previous year.

Leisure based travel accounts for 73.8% of all tourism in America, leaving 26.2% for business and other reasons. Overall the tourism expenditure accounts for $1,089 Billion a year, and the industry provides a direct source of employment for 5.29 million jobs.

RELATED: 2022 Tourism Trends & Outlook

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TOP U.S. TOURISM STATISTICS:

US Citizen domestic tourism:   Americans take 2.29 Billion domestic trips each year.

US Citizen outbound tourism:   Americans take 93.0 Million international outbound trips each year.

International Inbound Tourism:   Annually, there are currently 79.6 Million international visitors to the US.

$1,089 Billion:   Yearly American tourism expenditure ($932.7b domestic / $156.3b international)

Expenditure sources:   $267.7B on food services, $232.2B on lodging, $200.4B on public transport, $166.5B on auto transportation, $112.6B on recreation, $109.6B on retail.

15.7 Million   American jobs were supported by travel in 2018.

By 2028,   yearly U.S. tourism is estimated to hit the $2.4 trillion mark.

Days/yr. traveled by age group: Gen Z   (29 days) , Millennials   (35 days) , Gen X   (26 days)   and Baby Boomers   (27 days).

Top 5 inbound countries:   Mexico (19.1m), Canada (12.3m), UK (4.9), Japan (3.4), China (2.9)

Top 5 outbound by continent:   Europe (17.7m), Caribbean (8.7m), Asia (6.2m), South America (2.1m), Central America (3.2m)

Top US cities visited:   New York (9.8m), Miami (5.38m), LA (4.98m), Orlando (4.47m), San Francisco (3.57m), Vegas (3.33m)

Business vs. leisure:   U.S. travelers took 466.2 million domestic trips for business (26.2%), and 1,779.7 million for leisure (73.8%)

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Quick links: navigate our statistic topics, how many americans travel out of their country a year, how much did americans and tourists spend on travel last year, how much is the travel industry worth to america, which american age groups travel the most, why do americans travel, what are the popular trending activities in america, how do americans book their travel.

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US INBOUND & OUTBOUND TOURISM STATISTICS

US domestic travel increased by +2%  YTD in 2019 with Americans taking 2.29 Billion domestic trips.

Domestic leisure travel increased 1.9%   in 2019 to 1.9 billion.

80% of all US domestic trips  were for leisure travel in 2019.

Domestic business travel in 2019   accounted for 464 million trips.

US Citizen outbound tourism:   Americans take 93.0 Million international outbound trips each year. (+6.3% YTD Change)

International Inbound Tourism:   Annually, there are currently 79.6 Million international visitors to the US. (+3.5% YTD Change)

Top 5 inbound countries:   Mexico (19.1m), Canada (12.3m), UK (4.9), Japan (3.4), China (2.9).

Top 5 outbound by continent:   Europe (17.7m), Caribbean (8.7m), Asia (6.2m), South America (2.1m), Central America (3.2m).

Top US cities visited:   New York (9.8m), Miami (5.38m), LA (4.98m), Orlando (4.47m), San Francisco (3.57m), Vegas (3.33m).

Each year,   35% of American families   plan vacations 50 miles or more from home.

In a Travel Leaders Group survey,   24%   of Americans stated they plan to travel to Europe.

22%   of American vacations are via road trips.

USA’s top 5 road trip routes:   #1 Las Vegas – National Parks, #2 Northern California - Southern Oregon Coast, #3 Northern New England, #4 Blue Ridge Parkway #5 Black Hills.

The lion’s share of the United States tourism is from its own citizen’s domestic travel, with over 2.29 billion Americans taking trips within the country. This saw a +2% year to date increase, which is enormous considering that domestic travel spend was worth $932.7 Billion.

As you can see from the US outbound travel statistics above, the number of Americans traveling out of the country is remarkably low compared to domestic travel. According to Trade.gov, outbound tourism hit 93 Million last year and saw a sizable +6.3% year to date increase, showing more Americans are willing to take an outbound trip and travel out the country.

The outbound travel expenditure of these 93 million people was worth $156.3 Billion to America’s tourism industry, so 6.3% is a very significant outbound tourism statistic! The hottest US outbound destinations were Europe, Caribbean, Asia, South America, and Central America.

The US inbound tourism statistics also paint a fascinating picture of America’s continued tourism industry growth, with visitors flocking from Mexico, Canada, UK, Japan, and China. International visitors totaled 79.6 Million with a 3.5% year to date increase, with the top US vacation destinations being cities such as New York, Miami, LA, Orlando, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.

Sources :   Statista ,   AAA ,   TravelLeadersGroup ,   TravelAgentCentral ,   MMGY

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AMERICAS TOURISM INDUSTRY SPEND STATISTICS

American’s spent around   $930 billion USD   on domestic travel in 2018.

In 2017 the amount spent on summer vacations was around   $101.1 billion USD , up from $89.9 billion in 2016.

$1.1 Trillion   / $1,089 Billion: Yearly U.S. travel and tourism expenditure ($932.7b domestic / $156.3b international).

U.S. leisure spend totalled   $761.7 billion   in 2018 from domestic and international travellers.

U.S. business sped totalled   $327 billion   in 2018, with $136 Billion from travellers attending conventions or meetings.

Expenditure Sources:   $267.7B on food services, $232.2B on lodging, $200.4B on public transport, $166.5B on auto transportation, $112.6B on recreation, $109.6B on retail.

Behind nightlife/dining,   travel was voted   America’s most popular choice for spending disposable income at   36%.

$101.1 Billion   is spent every year in America on summer vacations alone.

The average American spends   $6,080 on international trips.

Inbound overseas tourists stay an average of 18 nights and   spend $4,200   while in America.

Overseas travellers account for   84%   of international tourist spend, despite being half of all international arrivals.

Canadian tourists are the biggest spenders with   £22.2 billion   in the U.S. every year.

New York brings in  $16.1 Billion   a year from international visitors.

If you’re wondering how much Americans spend on travel each year, it was huge; International and domestic travelers spent $1.1 Trillion US dollars ($1,089 Billion). Americans spending through domestic travel increased by a massive +5.8% year to date, whereas international tourism spends only saw a 0.3% bump from the previous year. To break this down, this sort of spending would support 8.9M jobs, which in turn would generate $171 Billion in tax and $268 Billion in payroll.

Out of the $1.1 Trillion spending, leisure travelers from both international and domestic spent $762 Billion in 2018, which was a +6.1% increase from the previous year. When looking at business travel spend, it had risen +2.4% to $327 Billion, with 41.5% coming from

What are American tourists spending this $1.1 Trillion on? According to the latest US travel spending statistics, food services such as restaurants, bars, and grocery stores were the most popular spending category at 26.7%. This was followed by 23.1% on lodging, 20.0% on public transport, 16.6% on auto transportation, 11.2% on recreation, and 10.9% on retail.

Furthermore, this $1.1 Trillion spending isn’t the only financial impact of the tourists. When you look at the inputs used to supply or produce the goods travelers desire, and take into account the spend of the employees of travel businesses – there is a considerable multiplier of the financial impact to the US economy, estimated to be a total of $2.5 Trillion.

Sources :  US Travel ,  US Travel 2 ,  Phocuswright ,  TravelAgenctCentral ,  Squaremouth ,  Statista

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US TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY JOB STATISTICS  

The travel industry accounts for   7.1%   of America’s private employment.

15.7 Million American jobs   were supported by travel in 2018.

8.92 Million   American travel-related jobs were supported by tourism in 2018 (7.73M domestic / 1.19M international)

$1 Million   in travel revenue directly produces eight jobs with the industry.

1 in 10 jobs   in the U.S. depend on the travel industry (Excluding farming).

$267.9 Billion   in payroll is generated yearly by U.S. travel and tourism ($234.6 Billion domestic / $33.3 Billion international).

$170.9 Billion   in tax revenue is generated yearly by U.S. travel and tourism ($147.3 Billion domestic / $23.6 Billion international).

A massive   $117.4 billion   of the $170.9b in tax revenue was spent on leisure travel, $53.5b on business.

International and domestic business travel generated   $327.3 billion   in 2018 through direct spending.

In 2018, U.S. residents recorded   463.6M   trips for business (38% being events and meetings).

The tourism industry is vital to the US economy, so much so that it accounts for 7.1% of the countries private employment. Overall, 15.7 Million American jobs were supported by the tourism industry last year, making one in eight non-farm jobs dependent on it in some way, direct and indirectly. The trend is on the up, the 15.7 Million American jobs in the travel industry had a +1.3% increase from the previous year.

Jobs, where workers are supplying goods or services directly to visitors, would be classed as ‘direct’ - this supported 8.9 million U.S. travel-specific jobs. The remaining 6.8 Million jobs were classed as indirect, these would include areas whereby workers created goods or services which helped produce the goods or services (sold or used by the 8.9M direct jobs).

The travel industry is known for being extremely labor intensive, its upwards trends have the power to develop new career opportunities much fast than any other niche. If you exclude the farming industry, one in ten jobs would be dependent on the travel industry – as an example, one in five non-farming industry jobs would be created from $1 million sales, but the same value in the travel industry would create one in eight.

Sources :  US Travel 1 ,  US Travel 2

US TRAVEL STATISTICS BY DEMOGRAPHIC

42%   of Americans own a passport, up from 27% 10 years ago.

Days a year traveling by age: Millennials ( 35 days ), Gen Z ( 29 days ), Baby Boomers ( 27 days ), and Gen X ( 26 days ).

Millennials :   62%   of parents travel with kids under five.

Millennials :   58%   prefer traveling with friends, 49% book last-minute vacations.

Millennials :   58%   want to solo travel,   26%   already have.

Solo Travel Women:   Take 3 more trips a year and are the most likely to travel alone.

Solo Travel: 43%   take over three trips a year.

Solo Travel: 50%   have a college or university diploma/degree.

Family: 4 out of 10   plan a trip with a family each year.

Family: 80%   take summertime trips to travel with family.

Family: 42%   opt for spring break vacations.

Baby Boomers:   Aim to take 4+ leisure vacations a year.

Baby Boomers: 30%   opt for a cruise as their vacation choice.

When analyzing the latest US outbound travel statistics by age, it was clear that millennials are the group willing to travel for the most extended period at 35 days a year, while generation X vacationed an average of 26 days.

Millennial Americans that are without children are now less of the typical ‘tourist’ and more of the ‘experience’ generation. Most of their booking habits are focused on exploring cultures, booking retreats, or activities rather than visiting theme parks and tourist trap areas. Their freedom and spontaneity let almost half of them book last-minute vacations, with or without friends as, to them, solo travel means cultural growth and meeting new people.

These travel age statistics also show us that half of the solo travelers take up to 3 more trips a year, have a college or university degree, and American solo travel is more prominent in women. What percentage of Americans own a passport? The myth was only one in ten do which appears in many blogs across the web, but now the Census and State department confirm that over 42% of Americans own a passport.

One travel by age group statistic shows almost one in three baby boomers opt for a cruise as their vacation and aim to take at least 4 trips per year. When it comes to families, the majority go during summer break (80%), and only 4 in 10 plan trips with their family. However, millennial families are far more likely to travel with younger children, at 62%.

Sources : Expedia, Resonanceco,  InternetMarketingInc ,  PRNewswire ,  SoloTravelWorld ,  TravelAgentCentral ,  NYU 1 ,  NYU 2 ,  AARP ,  TripAdvisor

REASONS AMERICANS TRAVEL FACTS & STATISTICS

Business/Leisure: U.S. travellers took   466.2 million   domestic trips for business (26.2%), and   1,779.7 million   for leisure (73.8%).

Family:   95%   prioritized their family to be happy and entertained.

Family:   89%   prioritized vacation deals and value.

Family:   85%   needed planning around school holidays.

Family:   85%   wanted outdoor activities for their family.

Gen Z:   55%   travelled to increase their knowledge and experience.

Gen Z:   40%   travelled to avoid stress and relax.

Millennials:   43%   want to find themselves.

Millennials:   23%   want to meet new people.

57%   of U.S. travellers would choose a free heritage vacation over alcohol for a year.

56%   of global international travellers agree it taught them life skills.

51%   want to escape normal life and recharge mentally.

42%   take trips to visit friends and family.

35%   are travelling to experience local delicacies.

Top   bucket list vacations   are volunteering trips (39%), food travel adventure (38%), mystery journey (38%), ancestry/heritage trip (36%), and sabbatical (36%).

59%   of solo travellers stated the reason they went alone is to see the world without waiting for others.

Why do Americans travel? When looking at the data from several survey sources, it was clear that the gender and age of respondents had little impact on the three most important factors.

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The most important reasons why Americans travel were:

Being with friends and family

Fun experiences (did index higher in younger generations)

Relaxing and unwinding

In terms of gender-based travel reasons, men indexed higher than women overall for exploring the great outdoors or outdoor activities that fall into that category. Generation Z, Millennials, or general age groups from 18-35 had higher responses around wanting to travel for music events or festivals than people aged 35 and over.

The most important trend we’ve noticed from reviewing multiple studies around American’s desires for travel is that younger generations are factoring in ‘experience tourism,’ this was very common in their responses. Experience tourism can be defined by people wanting to book activities or retreats, meet new people and ‘find themselves’. This is popular among solo travellers, like a cultural trip to Thailand for a detox retreat rather than visiting a traditional tourist attraction like a theme park.

Americans over 35 were keen on finding a vacation where food and drink was priority. Visiting a town or city that had cultural foodie scenes or breweries were very trendy.

Sources : ShortTermRentalz,  Wysetc ,  Trekksoft ,  TravelNews ,  USTravel ,  Booking.com ,  HospitalityNet ,  SoloTravelWorld

US TOURISM & TRAVEL ACTIVITY STATISTICS

Top 5 culture activities:   #1) 65% visit history/art museums, #2) 59% visit aquariums, #3) 56% visit science museums, #4) 55% visit theme parks, #5) 55% visit zoos

73%   of families take their children to a theme park, 34% aim for a world famous one.

Overseas visitors top 5 activities:   #1) 54% Shopping, #2) 49% visit historical/cultural sights, #3) 49% Restaurants, #4) 46% Monuments / National Parks, #5) 46% Sightseeing tours.

Trending:   89% increase in sunset cruise excursions trips since last year.

Trending : 64% increase in snorkelling activities since last year.

Trending : 55% increase in sailing trips since last year.

Trending : 49% increase in kayaking and canoeing experiences since last year.

33%   of visitors will get spa or beauty treatments while on vacation.

15%   of travellers book mindfulness or meditation retreats.

One of the reasons Americans do not travel abroad that much is that there is so much to offer in their own country. There is a wealth of cultural activities such as art galleries, museums that index high on the popular activities list, not to mention the volume of theme parks, zoos, and aquariums across the country.

Families want to book all-inclusive trips where everything is taken care of, and they can focus on shopping or taking their children sightseeing. An overwhelming volume of people wanted to book a cruise in the future, which pairs well with relaxing is one of the most popular reasons for travel data above. Cruises were particularly popular in respondents over the age of 45, as well as self-guided tours, whereas group tours were one of the least popular options for booking.

Even though sporting related activities are trending up, going to a physical sporting event was one of the least popular reasons Americans book travel, with most wanting to support their team… from home.

Sources :  MMGY ,  NYU , StatisticBrain,  TripAdvisor ,  Booking.com

RELATED: Online Destination Training For Agents

US TOURISM BOOKING STATISTICS

65%   of hotels are booked on the smartphone the same day as it was researched.

79%   of Americans researching trips will eventually book on their smartphone via app or online.

90%   of U.S. travellers use apps at their destination to make life easy.

#1 factor   in Americans booking travel is price, but reviews and amenities are close runners up.

Americans aged 18-24 classed   reviews   as the second most crucial factor in the booking.

Overall, travel is most commonly booked between   1 to 3 months   in advance.

Men are more likely to last-minute book their trips   2 to 4 weeks   out.

Excluding price as the main factor for Americans booking travel, amenities, and reviews were the most popular choices. So when comparing hotels, resorts or cruises of similar price, these are the factors that will sway the booking decision.

Popular amenities people look for when booking hotels are free breakfasts, pool access, fitness centers, and on-site restaurants. Public transportation was the least influential factor for people considering amenities when booking; this increased with ride-share options.

Only 11% of travellers book trips 6 months out; the most standard booking periods were for trips within 1 to 3 months.

Demographics wise, travelers without children would be the target market for last-minute booking, the no strings attached lifestyle leaves their schedules open. This makes them the ideal target for using last-minute deals to sign them up to hotel or travel loyalty programs.

Sources : StatisticBrain,  ThinkWithGoogle ,  Trekksoft

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[Exclusive Research] 2023 Global Hospitality Performance Report

The Latest Global Hospitality Statistics

Check the latest global hospitality statistics for 2023, including review volume evolution, impact scores, and defining trends shaping the travel industry [Q1-Q4 data] .

Get a full 2023 overview on key guest feedback indicators by exploring our annual report .

TrustYou Q4 2023 Global Hospitality Statistics

The Q4 2023 review volume reached 82.6% of the 2019 levels and recorded a 12.7% increase compared to Q4 2022. 

Percentage-wise, the review volume is a few points behind other international tourism indicators, a pattern we saw throughout the entire of 2023. 

According to IATA, the total air traffic ranged between 97%-99% in October , November , and December , compared to the same periods in 2019. While international traffic was still below pre-pandemic levels, domestic travel recorded a stronger performance, attributed to the increasing demand in China and holidays in the US.  

Based on the UN tourism data, the global recovery ranged between -8% to -11% in October-December 2023, against the same period in 2019, when looking at international tourism arrivals. 

#2 Positive Reviews Ratio, Steady Throughout 2023

93% of global guest reviews are positive.  

No changes to this proportion since Q1 2023. This number indicates consistency in the industry and a focus on service and quality.

Embracing Customer-First Tech in Hospitality & Tourism

Explore how the industry needs to shift its mindset, putting customer feedback at the center of its operations and leveraging technology to enhance service recovery, visitor satisfaction, and business success.

Industry Wrap-Up - Q4 2023 Global Hospitality Statistics 

#4 2023 travel in numbers.

2023 was the year of bouncing back for many destinations with strict COVID-19 measures in place. Since the beginning of Q2 2023, when APAC also relaxed its entry policies, we saw a more even performance across various regions. 

IATA estimates that the total air traffic was at 94.1% of 2019 levels. International traffic reached 88.6% of 2019 and domestic was 3.9% higher than pre-pandemic.  

World Tourism Organization's tourism performance numbers show a similar trend in terms of recovery. Globally, international tourist arrivals were at 88% , with the best-performing months being July, September, and October (just 8% behind pre-pandemic levels). 5 subregions recorded numbers higher than pre-pandemic: North Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, Southern Europe, and the Middle East. The latter has been the leader in travel performance, with arrivals growing more than 23% compared to 2019.  

#5 State of MICE: Latest Insights Revealed in 2024 Meeting Planner Survey

Knowland.com released a recent report on the state of MICE. Here are a few key findings: 

• 47% of meeting planners are dissatisfied with costs, with rising F&B and AV prices being a particular challenge. This results in adopting a more cost-effective approach. 
• Secondary markets provide an opportunity for lower prices and a high-quality experience, as groups are relocating events to alternative markets to maintain quality and avoid moving down in chain scale. This shift presents opportunities for secondary and tertiary markets to attract new business by offering quality products, services, and attractive pricing alternatives compared with the top 25 market destinations.

While artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability are on the radar for meeting planners, they are not yet influencing strategy to the extent that some may have expected. While planners see opportunities for AI in expected uses like event mobile apps and virtual assistants, there is not yet much excitement for AI in daily operations or game-changing digital applications. Additionally, sustainability has not yet made it into the KPIs of meeting organizers.

TrustYou Q3 2023 Global Hospitality Statistics

#1 global review volume continues to increase.

The Q3 2023 review volume reached 81.6% of the 2019 levels and recorded a 19.2% increase compared to Q3 2022. 

In Q3 2022, the review volume was 68.5% of 2019 reviews. Compared to January-March 2023, the review volume increased by 22.5%.

Other travel indicators show a similar growth pattern. In August 2023, the total amount of air travel, as measured by revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), increased by 28.4% compared to August 2022. This represents 95.7% of the 2019 levels.

Specifically, domestic air travel in August 2023 experienced a 25.4% increase compared to the same month in 2022 and 9.2% higher than in August 2019. The strong demand for domestic flights in China mainly influences this significant growth.

For international air travel, there was a 30.4% rise compared to the same period last year and 88.5% of the August 2019 levels.

We noticed that review volume growth is slower than other indicators, such as the number of international arrivals or hotel bookings. Not all guests choose to leave reviews after their stays. Since many other tourist providers are looking for travelers’ feedback, consumers have become more selective in leaving reviews, choosing to share only the best or worst experiences they had. That’s why it’s crucial to send live or post-stay surveys to capture more of your guests’ opinions. 

35.1% of travelers reading guest feedback are not leaving reviews because they are unaware of a survey or don’t know where to leave a review.

#2 Positive Feedback Remains High

93% of global guest reviews are positive.  

In 2022, 92% of all feedback was positive. Hoteliers prove that providing a top-notch guest experience remains a top priority. 

Why You Need an AI Response Generator

Here’s how an AI response generator for your guest reviews will help you save time & money while improving the guest experience.

Industry Wrap-Up - Q3 2023 Global Hospitality Statistics 

#4 tech adoption as a way to cope with staff shortages.

Staff shortages are an ongoing challenge for the industry. According to a recent study by Deloitte, 53% of hoteliers are currently at 25-74% of their pre-pandemic workforce, and less than 10% expect to be completely staffed by the end of 2023.

Technology adoption plays a crucial role in minimizing the impact of labor shortages. Half of hotel respondents are implementing new technology, 43% automate repetitive tasks, and 39% upgraded the existing tech stack.  However, hoteliers are still reluctant about the existent solutions - 54% say that what’s available on the market tech-wise is not advanced enough to cover their needs.  

#5 Double-digits Growth for the Key Hotel Indicators

Amadeus recently released a report revealing that the global hotel occupancy rate is 10% higher compared to 2022, and the growth will continue by the end of the year.  

The global RevPAR (revenue per available room) increased by 17%   (January - September 2023) compared to last year. France registered the highest growth in RevPAR - 123% . 

#6  Today’s Guests Expect a Connected, Seamless Hotel Experience

A recent report by Hospitality Planet looks at key traveler behaviours from pre- to post-stay. Here are a few key findings: 

• 49% of guests would choose to be checked-in by the staff, 32% prefer a self check-in on a personal device, and 15% - a self check-in available at a hotel kiosk. 
• Only 37% of returning guests say their info is saved in the hotel system. For those choosing to rebook, discounts ( 48% ) are the most important reward, followed by loyalty points (40%).  
• 56% of respondents consider WiFi as the most vital service. Globally, 55% prefer to have access to an open WiFi.  

TrustYou Q2 2023 Global Hospitality Statistics

#1 global review volume getting closer to 2019 levels.

The Q2 2023 review volume reached 86.3% of pre-pandemic levels and recorded a 19.6% increase compared to Q2 2022. 

In Q2 2022, the review volume was 72.1% of 2019 reviews. Compared to January-March 2023, the review volume increased by 32.4%.

The global review volume is in line with other travel indicators. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated that global air traffic reached 90.5% of pre-pandemic levels in April 2023 and 96.1% in May 2023. Domestic traffic has fully recovered and showed a 2- to 3% increase compared to 2019. 

Other indicators have even surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Every month,Skift calculates a Travel Health Index to assess the sector’s progress. It’s based on 84 key measurements from 22 data partners, including TrustYou. In April 2023, it was the first time that the travel health index reached pre-pandemic numbers. In June 2023, the index surpassed the 2019 level. 

This progress is attributed to China’s comeback to the travel scene, various global celebrations, especially in April, and the beginning of the vacation season.

#2 Positive Feedback is Steadily High

In 2022, 92% of all feedback was positive. Hoteliers prove that increasing guest satisfaction and experience remains a top priority.

Whether you are looking for ways to reply to more positive reviews or address the issues flagged by your guests, TrustYou’s new feature, responseAI , will help you respond efficiently and genuinely. With our latest feature, you can reduce the time spent replying to reviews while keeping that human touch. responseAI is smart enough to detect a positive or negative review, personalize the message, translate, and just like that - it's ready to review and send!

Q2 2023 Hospitality at a Glance

All you need to know about how hospitality evolution - in one page. Access our exclusive infographic summarizing global and regional review volume, categories impacting performance, and review sources.

Industry Wrap-Up - Q2 2023 Global Hospitality Statistics 

#4 international tourism contribution to reach 95% of 2019 levels by the end of 2023.

The latest forecast by the World Travel & Tourism Council estimates that the sector’s contribution to the GDP will reach $9.5 TN , with 34 countries already surpassing pre-pandemic levels. The same recovery percentage is expected for the hospitality job sector.  

#5 Leveraging Google’s New Tools: GA4 and Performance Max

Holding more than 90% of the search market share, Google is undeniably an essential platform for the travel industry. 

Two major tools that impact the industry have been released this year - PerformanceMax for the advertising side, and Google Analytics 4 ( GA4 ) for the analytics side. 

PerformanceMax is a tool powered by AI that enables hotel marketers to generate ads in various formats and expand their reach to a larger audience across Google’s platforms. Google claims that Performance Max can increase the conversion rate by 18% , compared to other traditional formats at the same cost. From the first results reported by Google, a hotel in Greece increased its revenue by 32% and its direct bookings by 26% after using PerformanceMax for one month.

While PerformanceMax is especially relevant for hotels, GA4 affects every business worldwide. The official release was on July 1st, with companies preparing for the transition at least a few months earlier. Replacing Universal Analytics, GA4 approaches the user’s journey differently, offering event-based insights into how they interact with your platform.  

Whether you’re a hotel, OTA, or destination - configuring GA4 properly is essential for getting more insights into your visitors’ journeys, improving their experience, and increasing conversions.  

#6 How Consumers Decide to Travel and Book - Insights from Expedia’s Research

Expedia’s latest report provides valuable insights for the travel industry into how consumers are planning and booking their trips. Here are a few key findings: 

• 45 days before booking, travelers view, on average, 141 pages of travel content
• The top three types of resources used by travelers in their decision-making process are OTAs  - used by 80%, search engines - 61%, and social media  - 58%
• When looking for inspiration, these are the top three resources travelers access: Social media - 77%, Travel blogs & review websites -  49%. Destination’s website - 45%

TrustYou Global Hospitality Statistics Q1 2023

#1 global review volume growth continues in q1 2023.

Q1 2023 review volume reached 80.2% of the pre-pandemic level and recorded a 31.7% increase compared to Q1 2022.  

In Q1 2022 , the review volume was 60.8% of 2019 reviews. At this accelerated pace, the review volume could surpass pre-pandemic numbers by the end of 2023.

Looking at the numbers provided by leading travel and tourism organizations, we see that review volume aligns with other recovery indicators. IATA reported that global air traffic was 84.2% in January and 84.9% in February 2023 of 2019. China’s decision to scrap the Zero-COVID policy mainly contributed to this growth.   Other indicators show a strong beginning. Based on Key Data's latest insights , the global ADR for Q1 2023 increased by 3.4%, occupancy by 17.6%, and RevPar by 21.6%.

In 2022, 92% of all feedback was positive. Hoteliers prove that increasing guest satisfaction and experience remains a top priority in the post-pandemic scene.   

A Live Survey Solution is a great way to reduce negative feedback. With an on-site survey, hoteliers can solve issues on the go, increasing guest satisfaction and preventing negative reviews.

Q1 2023 Hospitality at a Glance

Industry wrap-up - global hospitality statistics q1 2023, #4 travelers still look for health & safety measures and flexible options.

Criteo surveyed more than 12k travelers globally to see how they want to plan their travel experiences and what they expect from the travel industry in 2023. Here are a few findings: 

• Travel budgets don’t shrink this year . Despite the price surge, travelers aren’t reducing their travel budgets in 2023. Instead, they are looking for ways to optimize their costs by paying more attention to deals and loyalty programs. Our analysis of 29.9 million guest reviews also confirms that price is on the top agenda for travelers.  It’s the second factor that can bring lower ratings for a hotel, with guests more inclined to leave negative reviews when unsatisfied with the value or if an accommodation charges WiFi costs.  
• Travelers still appreciate health & safety measures despite most of the world reopening. Our Q1 2023 analysis confirms these findings. Room maintenance and cleanliness are among the key features most likely to bring lower scores to a hotel. 

Keeping Up with the Ever-Changing Guest Expectations

Jurys Inn started to use TrustYou at a very challenging time for the industry. During COVID-19, the platform allowed them to monitor their guests’ needs, identify new trends, and keep up with the evolving expectations around cleanliness.

• Flexibility is key . 59% of travelers consider the free cancellation policy when choosing a travel service, and 42%   the refund options. 
• A rising preference for seamless and customized vacations. In January 2023 only, the conversion rate for package tours grew by 96% compared to 2022 and 105% compared to January 2020, just before the lockdowns. 

#5 Who Are Modern Travelers and How Will They Evolve in the Next Decade? 

At the beginning of 2023, Amadeus launched a comprehensive research report on the behaviors that will define travel in the next decade. 

Based on more than 10.3k survey replies, Amadeus identified four types of travelers: 

• Pioneering Pathfinders - earning a higher-than-average income, most of the Pioneering Pathfinders are either Millenials or Gen Zs. They are calculated risk takers - not afraid of trying new things as long as they’ve done their research. This tribe is driven more than others to prioritize sustainability over comfort when traveling.  
• Excited Experientialists - most travelers from this group don’t live with children and have a medium to high income. They base their traveling decisions on YOLO (You Only Live Once), often acting instinctually than rationally. They are comfortable with ambiguity and rely less on technology to manage their plans.  
• Memory Makers  - Gen X and Baby Boomers are among the most prominent age groups in this tribe, with low to medium incomes. Memory Makers are characterized by stability and are the most worried about change.  Regarding technology, they use the essentials and are not as excited as other tribes about innovations or apps.
• Travel Tech-fluencers - these are Millenials or Gen Zs currently traveling for business purposes, with medium income. Their lifestyle is tech-driven, with most tech-fluencers owning a VR, using cryptocurrency, or using a wellness app. In 10 years, they plan to travel less for business and be among the first to try new ways of experiencing trips.

How Different Generations Interact with Guest Reviews

TrustYou’s latest consumer research reveals how hotels and destinations can adapt their offering for younger and older travelers.

Use Guest Reviews to Attract More Happy Travelers

Happy travelers spend more, book again, and promote your brand.  How do you increase your visitors' satisfaction as a hotel, destination, or booking platform? 

TrustYou offers a powerful tool for the hospitality industry that helps attract more visitors and improve guest satisfaction. With the help of our all-in-one reputation management platform, you can collect and analyze feedback from guests, identify improvement areas and address issues promptly. This leads to increased guest satisfaction, positive reviews, and, ultimately, more bookings. Our guest experience solution platform allows you to engage with guests before, during, and after their stay, fostering a sense of connection and building trust. 

Get Your Demo with TrustYou

See an overview of the world’s leading all-in-one platform, including reputation management, review marketing, and guest surveys. You’ll see firsthand how to make better business decisions for your organization, earn trust, and succeed.

*The requested Q1 2023 top and bottom Impact Scores reflect the main semantic categories. 

** Q1 2023 Impact Scores and Review Volume were requested at the beginning of April 2023. Due to the dynamic nature of the database with reviews and hotels being updated, the numbers may vary if data were requested at an earlier or later stage.

***the report includes rounded numbers for a clearer data representation. 

Catalina Brinza

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Election worker turnover has reached historic highs ahead of the 2024 vote, new data shows

Election officials across the country are leaving their jobs at the highest rates in decades, according to new research shared first with NBC News, putting thousands of new officials in place to oversee a tense and high-stakes 2024 presidential contest. 

At least 36% of local election offices have changed hands since 2020, following a similar exodus in the run-up to the midterms in 2022, when 39% of jurisdictions had new lead election officials from four years previously. Both points in time represented the highest four-year turnover rates in two decades, a development that worries election experts and officials who say such jobs are complex and come with a steep learning curve and no margin for error. And 2024’s turnover rate could continue to rise as the year goes on.

Election workers have been exposed to unprecedented scrutiny, threats and harassment following the presidential election in 2020, when Donald Trump falsely claimed the election was stolen and made baseless claims of voter fraud. And as Trump seeks the presidency for the third time, he has continued to predict voter fraud — seeming to lay the groundwork to again claim the election was stolen if he loses in November.

While the turnover rate has jumped in recent years, researchers found that it has been gradually rising for years, suggesting that both new and long-standing challenges are driving administrators from their jobs. From 2000 to 2004, about 28% of local election officials left their jobs. Four years later, 31% of election offices had changed hands.

Experts say that dynamic only reinforces the need to provide better funding and support for election workers to ensure the smooth administration of future elections.

“This gradual increase that we’ve seen over the last two decades really does highlight the need for comprehensive, coordinated strategies that seek to better fund election administration, that seek to reduce the burdens being placed on these election administrators,” said one of the study’s co-authors, Rachel Orey, senior associate director at the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Elections Project. “Because clearly, this isn’t something that only happened back in 2020.”

The research was conducted by UCLA researchers Daniel M. Thompson and Joshua Ferrer, who spent years collecting lists and directories of election officials in counties and municipalities around the country to produce the most accurate and expansive picture of election worker turnover available yet. Their data was analyzed and published in partnership with the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, D.C., think tank, in an effort to better understand turnover as election administrators face harassment, violent threats and increasingly complex and heavy workloads.

The data for 2024 is current through January and is preliminary.

Turnover surged in populous jurisdictions after 2020

The 2020 election appears to have escalated and shifted the trend in turnover, which researchers found was consistent across geographic and partisan lines. 

Until recently, the bulk of the turnover was driven by the resignations of election officials in small towns and counties, where election officials must wear many hats and oversee all parts of the election process with limited help and staffing. After 2020, officials from larger jurisdictions began leaving their jobs at a higher rate: Districts with at least 100,000 voting-age residents had a turnover rate of 46% from 2018 to 2022.

Trump and his allies have particularly focused their baseless fraud allegations on large cities like Phoenix, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Detroit. His supporters have seized on the claims, protesting near and harassing officials and poll workers, suggesting that election denialism may be fueling departures in large jurisdictions. Still, there was no clear tie between areas where more threats have been reported — like the states Joe Biden narrowly won in 2020 — and higher turnover, according to the data.

In Georgia, a key battleground state, many election offices have been flooded with voter challenges , public information requests and frequent harassment and threats. All four election offices in Georgia’s most populous counties, all in and around Atlanta, have changed hands since 2020, with many lower-level staffers following, too. 

“I got here in August ’21. By the time we ran our first election in May of ’22, I think it was something like 75% of the staff had never run an election before,” said Zach Manifold, Gwinnett County’s elections supervisor.

Since then, he said, turnover has slowed in his office, making everyone’s lives a bit easier. He said camaraderie has developed among the new election chiefs in the Atlanta area as they talk about their shared experiences.  

“I’m part of the new generation of election administrators,” said Tate Fall, Cobb County’s new elections director. Fall, 30, started in December — “baptism by fire,” she called it — after having worked in elections in Virginia and studied election administration in graduate school.

“We’ve heard so much about the great resignation and people retiring and stepping down, and I definitely see why — this job is exhausting. It’s draining,” she said. “We have seen our predecessors, our mentors, the people that we’ve seen speak at conferences for years, stepping down, and understandably so, but we’re not afraid to step into those positions. We’re not going in blind.”

And the next generation is entering the top jobs with a significant level of experience, the researchers determined after having drawn on data from a survey of local election officials last year conducted by the Elections & Voting Information Center at Reed College in Oregon. On average, new election officials had eight years of experience; in large jurisdictions, new officials had an average of 11 years of experience.

Public attacks and heavy workloads 

In interviews, election officials who have left their jobs in recent years said that their decisions were based on many factors but that public attacks and scrutiny particularly weighed heavily on their experiences.

“I still love elections to this day,” said Teresa DeGraaf, the former clerk of Port Sheldon Township, Michigan. “But it changed. I’ve never had a job where I had so many sleepless nights. I would wake up at 3 in the morning, and you feel like you’re under the microscope, and you feel like everything you’re doing is being watched. We had folks that sat in our parking lot at 2 in the morning to watch our ballot box before the election.”

In Charleston County, South Carolina, Joe Debney, 44, resigned from running the county’s elections in December 2020.

“After 2020, you could go home and people would question you in your own household. Your family members around Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas time are like, well, we trust you, Joe, but we’re not so sure we trust the rest of the United States,” he said.

Another factor that may be driving resignations is that the work has become more complicated and time-consuming. 

Many states’ election codes have been overhauled repeatedly over the last few years, including changes to mail voting and new restrictions driven by unfounded fear of fraud. 

Isaac Cramer, who succeeded Debney in Charleston County, said South Carolina’s election code doesn’t consolidate special elections onto the existing elections calendar, leaving officials in his state running multiple elections per week at times. He said it’s burning out election workers, and after a spate of resignations this year, he said, he knows few other election directors in the state because so many have resigned. 

Cramer said that after three years in the top job, he believes he’s one of the most senior officials in the state. When nuances in the law arise, he said, there isn’t anyone more experienced to ask.

Debney said: “There’s a learning curve. Thank God we have people like Isaac who are reaching out to those counties and trying to work with them and give them the tools in order to succeed.”

Debney, who had previously worked with the South Carolina Election Commission, said there was a similar exodus of election directors when the state upgraded its voting system. He went across the state, training and supporting officials, talking through nuances and best practices.

“If those things don’t occur, I think, there could be some pitfalls,” he said.

Debney now runs a local YMCA and serves on the Board of Elections in his home county, Dorchester, South Carolina. On Election Day in November, he’ll be in the field supporting his county’s election director.

“I really do miss it,” he said. “What I did was good. It helped not only our community but our state and nation as a whole.”

Jane C. Timm is a senior reporter for NBC News.

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Sustainable tourism worldwide - statistics & facts

What are the effects of global tourism on the climate, traveler awareness of social and environmental responsibility, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Ecotourism market size worldwide 2022-2028

Tourism-related transport's share of carbon emissions worldwide 2016-2030

Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2023

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Current statistics on this topic.

Leisure Travel

Global carbon dioxide emissions from energy 1965-2022, by region

Related topics

Recommended.

• Tourism worldwide
• Hotel industry worldwide
• Sustainable tourism in the U.S.
• Sustainable fashion worldwide

Recommended statistics

Industry overview.

• Premium Statistic Ecotourism market size worldwide 2022-2028
• Premium Statistic Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2023
• Premium Statistic Sustainable initiatives travelers would adopt worldwide 2022, by region
• Premium Statistic Conscious travelers' challenges when traveling in a sustainable manner worldwide 2022

Market size of the ecotourism sector worldwide in 2022, with a forecast for 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Share of travelers that believe sustainable travel is important worldwide in 2023

Sustainable initiatives travelers would adopt worldwide 2022, by region

Main sustainable initiatives travelers are willing to adopt worldwide in 2022, by region

Conscious travelers' challenges when traveling in a sustainable manner worldwide 2022

Challenges of travelers when trying to travel in a sustainable and socially conscious manner worldwide as of March 2022

Environmental impact

• Basic Statistic Global carbon dioxide emissions from energy 1965-2022, by region
• Premium Statistic Tourism-related transport's share of carbon emissions worldwide 2016-2030
• Premium Statistic Carbon footprint of tourism-related transport worldwide 2005-2030
• Premium Statistic Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type
• Premium Statistic Carbon footprint of domestic tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type

Carbon dioxide emissions from energy worldwide from 1965 to 2022, by region (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide)

Tourism-related transport's share of carbon emissions worldwide 2016-2030

Share of carbon dioxide emissions coming from tourism-related transport worldwide in 2016, with a forecast for 2030

Carbon footprint of tourism-related transport worldwide 2005-2030

Carbon dioxide emissions from tourism-related transport worldwide in 2005 and 2016, with a forecast for 2030 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide)

Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type

Transport-related emissions from international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2005 and 2016, with a forecast for 2030, by mode of transport (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide)

Carbon footprint of domestic tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type

Transport-related emissions from domestic tourist arrivals worldwide in 2005 and 2016, with a forecast for 2030 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide), by mode of transport

International tourism figures

• Premium Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023
• Basic Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region
• Premium Statistic Countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Global air traffic - number of flights 2004-2024
• Premium Statistic Global air traffic - scheduled passengers 2004-2022

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide from 1950 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide from 2005 to 2023, by region (in millions)

Countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide 2019-2022

Countries with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide from 2019 to 2022 (in millions)

Global air traffic - number of flights 2004-2024

Number of flights performed by the global airline industry from 2004 to 2023, with a forecasts for 2024 (in millions)

Global air traffic - scheduled passengers 2004-2022

Number of scheduled passengers boarded by the global airline industry from 2004 to 2022 (in millions)

Opinions and behavior

• Premium Statistic Main drivers for visiting a country by people worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Share of outbound travelers planning to spend more worldwide 2022, by category
• Premium Statistic Share of global travelers that want to use green lodging in the next year 2016-2022
• Premium Statistic Interest in accommodation with high sustainability standard globally 2023, by country
• Premium Statistic Reasons global travelers stayed in sustainable lodging at least once last year 2022
• Premium Statistic Demand for sustainable hotels by global corporate travel managers 2022

Main drivers for visiting a country by people worldwide 2023

Reasons to visit a country according to respondents worldwide in 2023

Share of outbound travelers planning to spend more worldwide 2022, by category

Share of travelers planning to spend more on trips abroad in selected countries worldwide in 2022, by type of expenditure

Share of global travelers that want to use green lodging in the next year 2016-2022

Distribution of global travelers intending to stay at least once in an eco-friendly or green accommodation when looking at the year ahead from 2016 to 2022

Interest in accommodation with high sustainability standard globally 2023, by country

Share of travelers who look for accommodation with impressive sustainability innovation worldwide as of July 2023, by country

Reasons global travelers stayed in sustainable lodging at least once last year 2022

Main reasons travelers stayed in sustainable accommodation at least once over the past year worldwide in as of February 2022

Demand for sustainable hotels by global corporate travel managers 2022

Importance of hotel sustainability for business travel buyers worldwide as of October 2022

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Global Wellness Institute

Statistics & facts, wellness economy statistics & facts.

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) is recognized as the leading source for authoritative wellness industry research. Since 2007, the GWI has commissioned and published numerous research reports on the global wellness economy, including our flagship publication, the Global Wellness Economy Monitor . All reports are available free to the public. Data highlights from recent studies are below. To download all GWI research, including special reports for certain industry sectors and geographic areas, visit Wellness Economy Research .

Global Wellness Economy

GWI is the first and only organization to conduct comprehensive, objective, and global research on the wellness industry. We first defined and measured the wellness economy and its component sectors in 2014, and these figures are updated and released every 2-3 years in the Global Wellness Economy Monitor . Our most recent report, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023 (released in November 2023), provides data for 2019-2022.

• The global wellness economy was valued at $4.9 trillion in 2019 and then fell to $4.5 trillion in 2020, due to the massive economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the wellness economy has recovered quickly. In 2022, the global wellness economy reached $5.6 trillion, nearly 14% higher than its size in 2019.
• As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, GWI predicts that the wellness economy will return to its robust growth. We project 8.6% average annual growth, with the wellness economy reaching $8.5 trillion in 2027.
• The wellness economy represented 5.6% of global economic output in 2022.

The wellness economy includes eleven sectors:

• Personal Care & Beauty ($1,089 billion)
• Healthy Eating, Nutrition, & Weight Loss ($1,079 billion)
• Physical Activity ($976 billion)
• Wellness Tourism ($651 billion)
• Public Health, Prevention, & Personalized Medicine ($611 billion)
• Traditional & Complementary Medicine ($519 billion)
• Wellness Real Estate ($398 billion)
• Mental Wellness ($181 billion)
• Spas ($105 billion)
• Workplace Wellness ($51 billion)
• Thermal/Mineral Springs ($46 billion)

Wellness Real Estate

GWI’s 2018 report, Build Well to Live Well , was the first research to size and analyze the global and regional market for wellness lifestyle real estate and communities. The study captures the central role that the built environment plays in driving our health and well-being, and it serves as an extensive resource guide for those seeking more information on how and why to build for wellness. Updated data and analysis for this sector are available in GWI’s latest data report, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023 .

• Wellness real estate was a $225 billion market in 2019, and it saw explosive growth during the pandemic, reaching $398 billion 2022.
• Wellness real estate has been the fastest-growing sector in the wellness economy since before the pandemic, significantly outpacing projections and economic growth trends. COVD-19 has accelerated the growing understanding among consumers and the building industry about the critical role that external environments play in our physical and mental health and well-being.
• Wellness real estate represented about 3.0% of global annual construction output in 2022.
• GWI estimates that the sales price premiums for wellness residential developments average 10-25% over conventional residential developments.

Physical Activity

In 2018, GWI released Move to be Well: The Global Economy of Physical Activity . This report defined and measured six sub-sectors that comprise the vast economy of physical activity: fitness, sports & active recreation, mindful movement, equipment/supplies, apparel/footwear, and technology. Updated data and analysis for this sector are available in GWI’s latest data report, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023 .

• The physical activity economy reached $876 billion in 2019 and then fell to $747 billion in 2020 (due to the pandemic). It has rebounded quickly in 2020-2022 as people started returning to their regular activities and exercise routines. GWI estimates that physical activity was a $976 billion global market in 2022.
• North America is the largest regional market for physical activity, at $361 billion in 2022.
• Sports & active recreation is the largest segment ($265 billion in 2022).
• Mindful movement has been the fastest-growing segment both before and after the pandemic (+16.8% overall increase from 2019-2022), as millions turned to yoga for at-home exercise and stress reduction.
• Fitness was the most negatively impacted during the pandemic, due to gym and fitness center closures, and it has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic level in as of 2022.
• Sports apparel & footwear is the largest ($372 billion in 2022).
• Fitness technology exploded in 2020 (+22.5% growth), as millions of consumers switched their exercise-related spending to workouts via digital platforms, and it has continued to grow rapidly (+15% average annual growth from 2020-2022).

Mental Wellness

GWI’s 2020 report, Defining the Mental Wellness Economy , was the first study to define and measure mental wellness as a global industry and to identify and benchmark its key sub-segments. Updated data and analysis for this sector are available in GWI’s latest data report, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023 .

• Mental wellness was first measured as a $130 billion global market in 2019. It grew strongly throughout the pandemic, reaching $181 billion in 2022.
• The United States is the largest market ($87 billion in 2022), followed by China, Canada, Germany, and Japan.
• Senses, spaces, & sleep ($77.3 billion in 2022)
• Brain-boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals ($60.7 billion)
• Self-improvement ($38.3 billion)
• Meditation & mindfulness ($4.3 billion)

Workplace Wellness

In 2016, GWI released The Future of Wellness at Work . The study provided a broad examination of the current state of wellness in the global workforce, and it presented a new vision for wellness at work, with actions that will help improve workforce health and unleash human potential. The most recent data and analysis for this sector are available in GWI’s latest data report, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023 .

• Workplace wellness was a $52 billion market in 2019, and it shrank to $48 billion in 2020. Several short-term and long-term structural shifts, in addition to COVID-19, account for the decline in workplace wellness spending in 2020. The sector has rebounded to $51 billion in 2022 but is not yet back to its pre-pandemic level.
• GWI estimates that only 10% of the world’s workers have access to workplace wellness programs and services, mostly concentrated in North America and Europe.
• As the structure of the global workforce changes, fewer workers are in jobs that have access to workplace wellness benefits. In addition, as employers shift toward more holistic approaches for employee well-being, spending on employee wellness becomes more difficult to quantify.
• GWI estimates that workforce unwellness (chronic disease, work-related injuries and illnesses, work-related stress, and employee disengagement) may cost the global economy 10-15% of economic output every year.

Wellness Tourism

GWI first defined and measured wellness tourism in 2013, bringing attention to the rise of wellness tourism worldwide and defining it as “travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal well-being.” Our updated 2018 Global Wellness Tourism Economy report provided extensive data and analysis that captured the explosive growth of wellness tourism and its transformation of nearly every aspect of travel. The most recent data and analysis for this sector are available in GWI’s latest data report, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023 .

• Wellness tourism was one of the fastest-growing wellness economy sectors prior to 2020, but it was also the sector that was most negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. After peaking at $720 billion in 2019, wellness tourism expenditures plummeted to $351 billion in 2020, due to the pandemic travel bans and border closures around the world.
• Wellness tourism has gradually recovered from 2020-2022, along with the relaxing of pandemic-related travel restrictions and the recovery of the overall tourism market. Wellness tourism reached $651 billion in 2022.
• GWI projects that wellness tourism will grow rapidly in the coming years, as the overall tourism sector continues to recover from the pandemic. Wellness tourism is projected to grow by 16.6% annually, reaching $1.4 trillion in 2027.
• World travelers made over 819 million international and domestic wellness trips in 2019, below the pre-pandemic level of 936 billion trips in 2019.
• International wellness tourists on average spent $1,764 per trip in 2022, 41% more than the typical international tourist. Domestic wellness tourists spent $668 per trip, 175% more than the average domestic tourist.
• Secondary wellness travelers accounted for 88% of wellness trips and 85% of wellness tourism expenditures in 2022. Secondary wellness tourism involves trips where wellness is not the primary motivation for the trip, but where wellness affects some choices and activities because the traveler would like to maintain good health and/or their wellness lifestyle during the trip.

Spa Industry

GWI has measured the spa industry at the global, regional, and country levels since 2007. The most recent data and analysis for this sector are available in GWI’s latest data report, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023 .

• In 2022, there were over 181,000 spas, earning $105 billion in revenues.
• The spa industry was hit hard by the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, with travel restrictions, business shutdowns, and stay-at-home orders leading to a 38.6% drop in revenues and a loss of over 5,600 businesses in 2020.
• The ongoing pandemic-related restrictions and tourism decline have continued to affect many spas around the world throughout 2021 and 2022, but nevertheless, the industry has recovered steadily and posted strong revenue growth rates in both years (+22.3% average annual growth). As of 2022, global industry revenues are at 92% of their pre-pandemic peak.
• GWI projects that spa revenues will recover beyond their pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and will reach $156 billion in 2027.
• The top five markets in 2022 were: United States ($25.9 billion), Germany ($7.9 billion), France ($5.0 billion), China ($4.8 billion), and Japan ($4.4 billion).
• The largest categories of spas are hotel/resort spas ($49.0 billion in 2022) and day/club/salon spas ($32.7 billion).

Thermal/Mineral Springs

GWI has measured the thermal/mineral springs industry at the global, regional, and country levels since 2013. The most recent data and analysis for this sector are available in GWI’s latest data report, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023 .

• There are an estimated 31,290 thermal/mineral springs establishments operating in 130 countries.
• As a tourism-dependent industry, thermal/mineral springs was one of the wellness sectors most negatively impacted by the pandemic. The border closures, business shutdowns, and stay-at-home orders effectively decimated business revenues across many regions for much of 2020 and 2021. After a 39% decline worldwide in 2020, business revenues have slowly come back over 2021 and 2022, but are still well below their pre-pandemic peak ($46 billion in 2022, as compared to $66 billion in 2019).
• GWI projects that thermal/mineral springs revenues will recover beyond their pre-pandemic levels in 2024 and will reach $90 billion in 2027.
• GWI estimates that at least 150 new thermal/mineral springs establishments opened from 2020-2022, across every region of the world. At least 42 new projects have already opened or are slated to open in 2023, and over 200 projects are in the pipeline for future openings/development.
• The thermal/mineral springs industry is heavily concentrated in Asia-Pacific and Europe, which together accounted for 94% of industry revenues and 93% of establishments in 2022.
• Top markets include China ($10.2 billion in 2022), Japan ($8.6 billion) and Germany ($6.8 billion).

Healthy Eating, Nutrition, & Weight Loss

The most recent data and analysis for this sector are available in GWI’s latest data report, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023 .

• The healthy eating, nutrition, & weight loss sector grew from $911 billion in 2019 to $1,079 billion in 2022. It is one of the only wellness sectors that has maintained a positive growth trajectory since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• GWI cautions that the growth in this sector should not be interpreted as “consumers were eating healthier during the pandemic” – and, in fact, the opposite may be the case. This sector captures spending on certain categories of foods, beverages, and supplements that are labeled and marketed as healthy, but that is not necessarily an indicator of healthy diets.
• The largest sub-sector is healthy-labeled foods & beverages ($874 billion in 2022), followed by vitamins & supplements ($156 billion) and weight loss products & services ($49 billion).

Traditional & Complementary Medicine

• Traditional & complementary medicine (T&CM) was a $487 billion market in 2019 and then fell to $450 billion in 2020, due to pandemic business shutdowns and supply chain disruptions that affected retail sales, product manufacturing, and provider visits. The sector has recovered quickly and grew to $519 billion in 2022.
• T&CM services/practitioners represent 54% of the market ($278 billion in 2022), while T&CM medicines/products represent 46% ($240 billion).
• Asia-Pacific is by far the largest regional market for T&CM ($335 billion in 2022).

Public Health, Prevention, & Personalized Medicine

• Public health, prevention, & personalized medicine generated $611 billion in spending globally in 2022.
• This sector saw a 50% expansion in size in 2020, due to governments and healthcare systems around the world ramping up their public health and prevention expenditures during the pandemic.
• This sector includes two sub-sectors: public health & prevention ($572 billion in 2022) and personalized medicine ($39 billion).

Personal Care & Beauty

• Consumer spending on personal care & beauty was hit hard by the onset of the pandemic, falling by 13.3% from 2019-2020. The sector has recovered quickly, and it reached a new peak of $1,089 billion in 2022.
• The three largest regions for personal care & beauty expenditures are North America ($336 billion in 2022), Europe ($303 billion), and Asia-Pacific ($273 billion).
• On a per capita basis, expenditures are highest in North America ($901 in 2022).

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

Global and regional tourism performance

• international tourist arrivals and receipts and export revenues
• international tourism expenditure and departures
• Seasonality
• Tourism Flows
• Accommodation
• Tourism GDP and Employment
• Domestic Tourism

The UNWTO 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 receipts, tourism share of exports and contribution to GDP, source markets, seasonality, domestic tourism and data on accommodation and employment.