98 Statistics on Travel To Inspire You To Pack Your Bags

It’s time to plan your next big trip! Whether you’re looking to travel to a tropical destination for spring break or planning a road trip for the summer months, making the best travel decisions can be difficult.

Domestic and international travel have changed significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Industry cleanliness standards have increased, and travelers are giving more thought to their vacations or booking travel agents to create a seamless travel experience.

Before planning your trip with Trip Canvas, read through our 98 statistics on travel to learn more about the most popular travel destinations, costs of traveling, how COVID-19 has affected domestic and international travel and more.

Section 01General Traveling Statistics Section 02Travel Trends for 2023 Section 03American Travel Statistics Section 04International Travel Statistics Section 05Travel and Tourism Industry Section 06Travel Costs Section 07Travel Demographics Section 08Business Travel Statistics Section 09Solo Travel Section 10Benefits of Travel Section 11Statistics on Air Travel Section 12COVID-19 and Travel

01General Traveling Statistics

  • Travel and tourism contribute roughly $5.81 trillion to the global economy.

    Statista

  • 1 in 20 jobs depend on the travel industry.

    U.S. Travel Association

  • September 2022 saw an increase of 6% in travel spending compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

    U.S. Travel Association

  • Cruise and ferry sales often reach their peak during the summer months.

    SaleCycle

    White, blue, and black cruise ship with a couple stars in the sky

  • Leisure travel was the most intended form of travel in 2022.

    Tripadvisor

  • Inbound tourism growth hit post-pandemic highs in 2022 and is expected to continue to grow in 2023 and 2024.

    Statista

  • Experiences are more important to travelers than purchasing items or finding the best deals.

    Expedia Group

  • 20% of travelers agree that cultural activities should be prioritized during travel.

    Tripadvisor

  • Travelers are less likely to make purchases or book trips in January and February.

    SaleCycle

    Calendars of January and February with a prohibition sign behind them.

  • Post-pandemic travelers believe it is now more important than ever to splurge on travel.

    Tripadvisor

  • The number of Americans expressing interest in hotel stays during their travel is increasing.

    American Hotel & Lodging Association

  • The travel and tourism industries in the United States, China and Germany contribute the most to the overall GDP.

    Statista

02Travel Trends for 2023

  • Pet-friendly vacations are in demand by 1 in 10 travelers.

    GWI

  • 74% of travelers are willing to pay for sustainable travel options.

    Virtuoso

  • While international travel is enticing, 90% of travelers claim they plan to take a domestic trip in 2023.

    GWI

  • Nostalgic getaways are at the top of 88% of travelers’ wish lists.

    Booking.com

  • 55% of travelers are looking for trips to be “off-grid” and an escape from reality.

    Booking.com

  • With virtual reality on the rise, 35% of travelers claim they will be going on a multi-day VR travel experience in 2023.

    Booking.com

    Person wearing a virtual reality headset to virtually travel to a place with green mountains and blue sky.

  • Travelers are likely to book domestic travel around 60 days in advance and international travel 80 days in advance.

    Virtuoso

  • Italy is one of the most sought-after travel destinations, as well as Spain, Greece, the Caribbean, and Singapore.

    GWI

  • Many travelers are looking to book mindfulness and meditation trips, silent retreats, and health getaways focused on both mental and physical health.

    Booking.com

  • Culture and language immersion is important to 51% of 2023 global travelers.

    Booking.com

  • More travelers are willing to splurge on helpful value-adds when traveling, including booking travel advisory services.

    Virtuoso

03American Travel Statistics

  • By 2027, it is estimated that inbound travel to the United States will produce $279 billion annually.

    Commerce.gov

  • Orlando is expected to be the most popular domestic travel destination in 2023.

    AAA

    Yellow cut out of Florida with palm trees and a pinpoint on Orlando.

  • 17% of travelers in the United States subscribe to a travel-related subscription.

    Tripadvisor

  • 70% of Americans consider cleanliness to be an important factor when choosing where to stay and visit.

    Tripadvisor

  • Rest and relaxation is the most common reason (51%) Americans plan to take trips.

    Tripadvisor

  • The United States experienced a travel surplus of $6 billion in 2021.

    U.S. Travel Association

  • 49% of traveling American adults expect to stay at a hotel chain establishment.

    Morning Consult

  • The most popular cruise port in 2023 is estimated to be Fort Lauderdale, which has popularized Caribbean and Central American cruises.

    AAA

  • 75% of American travelers agree that seeing new places is a priority when planning trips.

    Tripadvisor

04International Travel Statistics

  • The recovery of international tourism was staggered across the globe due to differing restrictions, vaccination rates, and travel confidence.

    World Tourism Organization

  • Europe is the most popular international travel destination.

    Statista

  • In 2023, Rome, Paris, London, Sydney and Aruba are expected to be the most-traveled international destinations.

    AAA

    Blue old fashioned suitcase with the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and palm trees popping out.

  • Travel is ranked as the most enjoyable activity globally.

    Travelport

  • A majority of tourism experts expect international travel rates to reach pre-pandemic levels by 2024.

    World Tourism Organization

  • Relaxation and “getting away” are some of the top reasons international travelers book leisure trips.

    Morning Consult

  • France, Spain and the United States were the most popular travel destinations for international tourists in 2022.

    World Population Review

  • Half of the travel exports from international travel can be directly tied to travel and passenger spending.

    U.S. Travel Association

05Travel and Tourism Industry

  • In 2022, the tourism industry employed more than 5 million people in the United States.

    IBISWorld

  • 18.2 million jobs in the travel and tourism sectors were recovered in 2021.

    World Travel & Tourism Council

  • Before the pandemic, the tourism industry supported 9.5 million jobs in the United States.

    Commerce.gov

  • The travel and tourism industry’s contribution to the GDP increased by 21.7% in 2021.

    World Travel & Tourism Council

  • 2021 was the second worst year for tourism, overtaken only by 2020.

    World Tourism Organization

    Graph showing how tourism declined between 2019, 2020, and 2021 using an airplane to connect the data points.

  • International travelers spend more in the United States than any other travel destination.

    International Trade Administration

  • Just under 2 million leisure and hospitality jobs were available in the beginning of 2022.

    U.S. Travel Association

  • Travel and tourism generated $53.4 billion in trade surplus in 2019.

    Commerce.gov

06Travel Costs

  • Food services are the highest travel cost for domestic travelers.

    U.S. Travel Association

  • Travel insurance policies usually cost around 5%-10% of the entire trip cost.

    Squaremouth

  • 72% of those ages 18 to 30 are more willing to splurge on leisure travel.

    Avail

  • Airfare rose 36% in March 2022 to reach an average price of $300.

    Bloomberg

  • Of those traveling by plane, 50% would not pay more for free cancellation options.

    Morning Consult

  • Biometric payments for travel and upgrades may become more common in 2023 and beyond.

    Amadeus

    Phone and credit cards with a fingerprint scanner to pay.

  • Travelers between the ages of 18 and 25 spend around $1,900 per traveler for trips, the least of any adult age range.

    Squaremouth

  • In 2022, Americans spent 29% more on average when booking trips.

    Tripadvisor

07Travel Demographics

  • EU residents ages 65+ are more likely to take more frequent, longer vacations than other EU residents.

    Eurostat

  • 84% of travelers from the United States are ages 40+.

    Zippia

  • Travelers ages 18 to 34 are more likely to book both domestic and international trips than other age groups.

    Virtuoso

  • In the United States, 57.1% of travelers are women.

    Zippia

    Woman in a red jumpsuit, blue ankle-length jacket, and pink brimmed hat pulling a light blue suitcase.

  • Travelers ages 55+ are more likely to purchase travel insurance.

    Squaremouth

  • More than 50% of English-speaking travelers also speak Spanish.

    Zippia

  • China is the world’s top traveling nation and the United States is second.

    Get Going

  • Of travelers between the ages of 18 and 33, 40.1% claim to choose vacation spots based on how “Instagrammable” they are.

    Schofields Insurance

    Purple and white polaroid camera with a developing image.

  • Andorra has the highest resident-to-tourist ratio in the world, boasting one resident to every 39 tourists.

    Get Going

08Business Travel Statistics

  • In 2021, business travel accounted for around $697 billion in travel spending.

    Statista

  • Around 60% of business trips are extended for additional personal vacation time.

    Expedia

  • The global business travel market saw a loss of more than $810 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Statista

  • 67% of travelers believe economic conditions will limit business travel in 2023.

    Global Business Travel Association

  • Business travel accounts for 14% of all travel spending.

    U.S. Travel Association

    Larger dollar bill next to a smaller blue suitcase measuring the percentage of business travel spending.

  • 1.4 million jobs supported by business travel are still unrecovered since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    U.S. Travel Association

  • 78% of companies expect their business travel to increase in 2023.

    Global Business Travel Association

09Solo Travel

  • 1 in 4 Americans planned to take a solo trip in 2022.

    MMGY

    Four sillouhettes in front of an airline ticket.

  • 14% of solo travelers indicate that the pandemic negatively affected their financial ability to travel.

    Solo Traveler

  • 46% of female travelers expressed concerns about their safety while traveling solo.

    Tourlane

  • The number of solo travelers is increasing due to social media influence, psychographic traits and interests.

    Astute Analytica

  • Solo travelers account for 17% of all global travel.

    WTM Global Hub

  • 38% of solo travelers spend between $1,000 and $2,000 for their trips.

    Solo Traveler

10Benefits of Travel

  • Multicultural experiences, which can be experienced both internationally and domestically, can increase creativity.

    Singapore Management University

  • Post-travel, 73% of those ages 55+ experience health benefits — including better sleep, more energy and increased productivity.

    AARP

  • Travel can correct sleep patterns, either adding or subtracting sleep where needed.

    National Library of Medicine

    Person sleeping under a purple bed on top of blue sheets.

  • More frequent vacations can actually decrease the risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome.

    Psychology & Health

  • Emotional well-being, connections with family and friends and mental clarity are some of the most common benefits of travel.

    AARP

  • Traveling can actually make you healthier and happier by improving mood, changing life outlooks and encouraging increased walking.

    Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies

  • Vacations can lead to less stressful days, even five weeks after returning from a trip.

    Verywell Mind

11Statistics on Air Travel

  • The financial performance of air travel in all regions is expected to continue to improve.

    Airlines IATA

  • 60% of air passengers who have experienced a travel disruption also had a connecting flight.

    International Air Transport Association

  • Air travel numbers are expected to reach 4 billion passengers by 2024.

    International Air Transport Association

  • Approximately 73% of all airline purchases are made on a desktop computer rather than a mobile device.

    SaleCycle

  • 33.8 million flights were performed in 2022, up from 16.9 million in 2020.

    Statista

    White, orange, and blue airplane gaining height.

  • Fuel accounts for 24% of the airline industry’s total costs.

    Airlines IATA

12COVID-19 and Travel

  • The number of all travelers decreased by 72% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Statista

  • By April 2020, 100% of global travel destinations had COVID-19 travel restrictions.

    World Tourism Organization

  • 66% of solo travelers want other passengers and staff members to be vaccinated.

    Solo Traveler

    Blue medicine bottle and blue and white needle sitting next to each other.

  • 92% of companies were suspending traffic in May 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns.

    Statista

  • 33% of English travelers, 55% of Singaporean travelers and 43% of Australian travelers have decided against 2023 travel due to possible travel restrictions.

    Tripadvisor

    Green map with pinpoints in Europe, Australia, and Singapore with a no travel sign.

  • The travel and tourism industries lost nearly 62 million jobs in 2020.

    Statista

  • In 2020, Europe’s international arrivals dropped from 746 million to 303 million.

    World Tourism Organization

When you become a AAA member, planning your next family vacation, business trip or solo getaway can be a breeze. Discounts on everything from hotels and car rentals to one-of-a-kind entertainment are available, and our travel guides are perfect for finding the best hidden gems and popular attractions for travel destinations across the globe.