tourism trends growth

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

As travel resumes and builds momentum, it’s becoming clear that tourism is resilient—there is an enduring desire to travel. Against all odds, international tourism rebounded in 2022: visitor numbers to Europe and the Middle East climbed to around 80 percent of 2019 levels, and the Americas recovered about 65 percent of prepandemic visitors 1 “Tourism set to return to pre-pandemic levels in some regions in 2023,” United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), January 17, 2023. —a number made more significant because it was reached without travelers from China, which had the world’s largest outbound travel market before the pandemic. 2 “ Outlook for China tourism 2023: Light at the end of the tunnel ,” McKinsey, May 9, 2023.

Recovery and growth are likely to continue. According to estimates from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for 2023, international tourist arrivals could reach 80 to 95 percent of prepandemic levels depending on the extent of the economic slowdown, travel recovery in Asia–Pacific, and geopolitical tensions, among other factors. 3 “Tourism set to return to pre-pandemic levels in some regions in 2023,” United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), January 17, 2023. Similarly, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts that by the end of 2023, nearly half of the 185 countries in which the organization conducts research will have either recovered to prepandemic levels or be within 95 percent of full recovery. 4 “Global travel and tourism catapults into 2023 says WTTC,” World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), April 26, 2023.

Longer-term forecasts also point to optimism for the decade ahead. Travel and tourism GDP is predicted to grow, on average, at 5.8 percent a year between 2022 and 2032, outpacing the growth of the overall economy at an expected 2.7 percent a year. 5 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 , WTTC, August 2022.

So, is it all systems go for travel and tourism? Not really. The industry continues to face a prolonged and widespread labor shortage. After losing 62 million travel and tourism jobs in 2020, labor supply and demand remain out of balance. 6 “WTTC research reveals Travel & Tourism’s slow recovery is hitting jobs and growth worldwide,” World Travel & Tourism Council, October 6, 2021. Today, in the European Union, 11 percent of tourism jobs are likely to go unfilled; in the United States, that figure is 7 percent. 7 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 : Staff shortages, WTTC, August 2022.

There has been an exodus of tourism staff, particularly from customer-facing roles, to other sectors, and there is no sign that the industry will be able to bring all these people back. 8 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 : Staff shortages, WTTC, August 2022. Hotels, restaurants, cruises, airports, and airlines face staff shortages that can translate into operational, reputational, and financial difficulties. If unaddressed, these shortages may constrain the industry’s growth trajectory.

The current labor shortage may have its roots in factors related to the nature of work in the industry. Chronic workplace challenges, coupled with the effects of COVID-19, have culminated in an industry struggling to rebuild its workforce. Generally, tourism-related jobs are largely informal, partly due to high seasonality and weak regulation. And conditions such as excessively long working hours, low wages, a high turnover rate, and a lack of social protection tend to be most pronounced in an informal economy. Additionally, shift work, night work, and temporary or part-time employment are common in tourism.

The industry may need to revisit some fundamentals to build a far more sustainable future: either make the industry more attractive to talent (and put conditions in place to retain staff for longer periods) or improve products, services, and processes so that they complement existing staffing needs or solve existing pain points.

One solution could be to build a workforce with the mix of digital and interpersonal skills needed to keep up with travelers’ fast-changing requirements. The industry could make the most of available technology to provide customers with a digitally enhanced experience, resolve staff shortages, and improve working conditions.

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Complementing concierges with chatbots.

The pace of technological change has redefined customer expectations. Technology-driven services are often at customers’ fingertips, with no queues or waiting times. By contrast, the airport and airline disruption widely reported in the press over the summer of 2022 points to customers not receiving this same level of digital innovation when traveling.

Imagine the following travel experience: it’s 2035 and you start your long-awaited honeymoon to a tropical island. A virtual tour operator and a destination travel specialist booked your trip for you; you connected via videoconference to make your plans. Your itinerary was chosen with the support of generative AI , which analyzed your preferences, recommended personalized travel packages, and made real-time adjustments based on your feedback.

Before leaving home, you check in online and QR code your luggage. You travel to the airport by self-driving cab. After dropping off your luggage at the self-service counter, you pass through security and the biometric check. You access the premier lounge with the QR code on the airline’s loyalty card and help yourself to a glass of wine and a sandwich. After your flight, a prebooked, self-driving cab takes you to the resort. No need to check in—that was completed online ahead of time (including picking your room and making sure that the hotel’s virtual concierge arranged for red roses and a bottle of champagne to be delivered).

While your luggage is brought to the room by a baggage robot, your personal digital concierge presents the honeymoon itinerary with all the requested bookings. For the romantic dinner on the first night, you order your food via the restaurant app on the table and settle the bill likewise. So far, you’ve had very little human interaction. But at dinner, the sommelier chats with you in person about the wine. The next day, your sightseeing is made easier by the hotel app and digital guide—and you don’t get lost! With the aid of holographic technology, the virtual tour guide brings historical figures to life and takes your sightseeing experience to a whole new level. Then, as arranged, a local citizen meets you and takes you to their home to enjoy a local family dinner. The trip is seamless, there are no holdups or snags.

This scenario features less human interaction than a traditional trip—but it flows smoothly due to the underlying technology. The human interactions that do take place are authentic, meaningful, and add a special touch to the experience. This may be a far-fetched example, but the essence of the scenario is clear: use technology to ease typical travel pain points such as queues, misunderstandings, or misinformation, and elevate the quality of human interaction.

Travel with less human interaction may be considered a disruptive idea, as many travelers rely on and enjoy the human connection, the “service with a smile.” This will always be the case, but perhaps the time is right to think about bringing a digital experience into the mix. The industry may not need to depend exclusively on human beings to serve its customers. Perhaps the future of travel is physical, but digitally enhanced (and with a smile!).

Digital solutions are on the rise and can help bridge the labor gap

Digital innovation is improving customer experience across multiple industries. Car-sharing apps have overcome service-counter waiting times and endless paperwork that travelers traditionally had to cope with when renting a car. The same applies to time-consuming hotel check-in, check-out, and payment processes that can annoy weary customers. These pain points can be removed. For instance, in China, the Huazhu Hotels Group installed self-check-in kiosks that enable guests to check in or out in under 30 seconds. 9 “Huazhu Group targets lifestyle market opportunities,” ChinaTravelNews, May 27, 2021.

Technology meets hospitality

In 2019, Alibaba opened its FlyZoo Hotel in Huangzhou, described as a “290-room ultra-modern boutique, where technology meets hospitality.” 1 “Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has a hotel run almost entirely by robots that can serve food and fetch toiletries—take a look inside,” Business Insider, October 21, 2019; “FlyZoo Hotel: The hotel of the future or just more technology hype?,” Hotel Technology News, March 2019. The hotel was the first of its kind that instead of relying on traditional check-in and key card processes, allowed guests to manage reservations and make payments entirely from a mobile app, to check-in using self-service kiosks, and enter their rooms using facial-recognition technology.

The hotel is run almost entirely by robots that serve food and fetch toiletries and other sundries as needed. Each guest room has a voice-activated smart assistant to help guests with a variety of tasks, from adjusting the temperature, lights, curtains, and the TV to playing music and answering simple questions about the hotel and surroundings.

The hotel was developed by the company’s online travel platform, Fliggy, in tandem with Alibaba’s AI Labs and Alibaba Cloud technology with the goal of “leveraging cutting-edge tech to help transform the hospitality industry, one that keeps the sector current with the digital era we’re living in,” according to the company.

Adoption of some digitally enhanced services was accelerated during the pandemic in the quest for safer, contactless solutions. During the Winter Olympics in Beijing, a restaurant designed to keep physical contact to a minimum used a track system on the ceiling to deliver meals directly from the kitchen to the table. 10 “This Beijing Winter Games restaurant uses ceiling-based tracks,” Trendhunter, January 26, 2022. Customers around the world have become familiar with restaurants using apps to display menus, take orders, and accept payment, as well as hotels using robots to deliver luggage and room service (see sidebar “Technology meets hospitality”). Similarly, theme parks, cinemas, stadiums, and concert halls are deploying digital solutions such as facial recognition to optimize entrance control. Shanghai Disneyland, for example, offers annual pass holders the option to choose facial recognition to facilitate park entry. 11 “Facial recognition park entry,” Shanghai Disney Resort website.

Automation and digitization can also free up staff from attending to repetitive functions that could be handled more efficiently via an app and instead reserve the human touch for roles where staff can add the most value. For instance, technology can help customer-facing staff to provide a more personalized service. By accessing data analytics, frontline staff can have guests’ details and preferences at their fingertips. A trainee can become an experienced concierge in a short time, with the help of technology.

Apps and in-room tech: Unused market potential

According to Skift Research calculations, total revenue generated by guest apps and in-room technology in 2019 was approximately $293 million, including proprietary apps by hotel brands as well as third-party vendors. 1 “Hotel tech benchmark: Guest-facing technology 2022,” Skift Research, November 2022. The relatively low market penetration rate of this kind of tech points to around $2.4 billion in untapped revenue potential (exhibit).

Even though guest-facing technology is available—the kind that can facilitate contactless interactions and offer travelers convenience and personalized service—the industry is only beginning to explore its potential. A report by Skift Research shows that the hotel industry, in particular, has not tapped into tech’s potential. Only 11 percent of hotels and 25 percent of hotel rooms worldwide are supported by a hotel app or use in-room technology, and only 3 percent of hotels offer keyless entry. 12 “Hotel tech benchmark: Guest-facing technology 2022,” Skift Research, November 2022. Of the five types of technology examined (guest apps and in-room tech; virtual concierge; guest messaging and chatbots; digital check-in and kiosks; and keyless entry), all have relatively low market-penetration rates (see sidebar “Apps and in-room tech: Unused market potential”).

While apps, digitization, and new technology may be the answer to offering better customer experience, there is also the possibility that tourism may face competition from technological advances, particularly virtual experiences. Museums, attractions, and historical sites can be made interactive and, in some cases, more lifelike, through AR/VR technology that can enhance the physical travel experience by reconstructing historical places or events.

Up until now, tourism, arguably, was one of a few sectors that could not easily be replaced by tech. It was not possible to replicate the physical experience of traveling to another place. With the emerging metaverse , this might change. Travelers could potentially enjoy an event or experience from their sofa without any logistical snags, and without the commitment to traveling to another country for any length of time. For example, Google offers virtual tours of the Pyramids of Meroë in Sudan via an immersive online experience available in a range of languages. 13 Mariam Khaled Dabboussi, “Step into the Meroë pyramids with Google,” Google, May 17, 2022. And a crypto banking group, The BCB Group, has created a metaverse city that includes representations of some of the most visited destinations in the world, such as the Great Wall of China and the Statue of Liberty. According to BCB, the total cost of flights, transfers, and entry for all these landmarks would come to $7,600—while a virtual trip would cost just over $2. 14 “What impact can the Metaverse have on the travel industry?,” Middle East Economy, July 29, 2022.

The metaverse holds potential for business travel, too—the meeting, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) sector in particular. Participants could take part in activities in the same immersive space while connecting from anywhere, dramatically reducing travel, venue, catering, and other costs. 15 “ Tourism in the metaverse: Can travel go virtual? ,” McKinsey, May 4, 2023.

The allure and convenience of such digital experiences make offering seamless, customer-centric travel and tourism in the real world all the more pressing.

Three innovations to solve hotel staffing shortages

Is the future contactless.

Given the advances in technology, and the many digital innovations and applications that already exist, there is potential for businesses across the travel and tourism spectrum to cope with labor shortages while improving customer experience. Process automation and digitization can also add to process efficiency. Taken together, a combination of outsourcing, remote work, and digital solutions can help to retain existing staff and reduce dependency on roles that employers are struggling to fill (exhibit).

Depending on the customer service approach and direct contact need, we estimate that the travel and tourism industry would be able to cope with a structural labor shortage of around 10 to 15 percent in the long run by operating more flexibly and increasing digital and automated efficiency—while offering the remaining staff an improved total work package.

Outsourcing and remote work could also help resolve the labor shortage

While COVID-19 pushed organizations in a wide variety of sectors to embrace remote work, there are many hospitality roles that rely on direct physical services that cannot be performed remotely, such as laundry, cleaning, maintenance, and facility management. If faced with staff shortages, these roles could be outsourced to third-party professional service providers, and existing staff could be reskilled to take up new positions.

In McKinsey’s experience, the total service cost of this type of work in a typical hotel can make up 10 percent of total operating costs. Most often, these roles are not guest facing. A professional and digital-based solution might become an integrated part of a third-party service for hotels looking to outsource this type of work.

One of the lessons learned in the aftermath of COVID-19 is that many tourism employees moved to similar positions in other sectors because they were disillusioned by working conditions in the industry . Specialist multisector companies have been able to shuffle their staff away from tourism to other sectors that offer steady employment or more regular working hours compared with the long hours and seasonal nature of work in tourism.

The remaining travel and tourism staff may be looking for more flexibility or the option to work from home. This can be an effective solution for retaining employees. For example, a travel agent with specific destination expertise could work from home or be consulted on an needs basis.

In instances where remote work or outsourcing is not viable, there are other solutions that the hospitality industry can explore to improve operational effectiveness as well as employee satisfaction. A more agile staffing model  can better match available labor with peaks and troughs in daily, or even hourly, demand. This could involve combining similar roles or cross-training staff so that they can switch roles. Redesigned roles could potentially improve employee satisfaction by empowering staff to explore new career paths within the hotel’s operations. Combined roles build skills across disciplines—for example, supporting a housekeeper to train and become proficient in other maintenance areas, or a front-desk associate to build managerial skills.

Where management or ownership is shared across properties, roles could be staffed to cover a network of sites, rather than individual hotels. By applying a combination of these approaches, hotels could reduce the number of staff hours needed to keep operations running at the same standard. 16 “ Three innovations to solve hotel staffing shortages ,” McKinsey, April 3, 2023.

Taken together, operational adjustments combined with greater use of technology could provide the tourism industry with a way of overcoming staffing challenges and giving customers the seamless digitally enhanced experiences they expect in other aspects of daily life.

In an industry facing a labor shortage, there are opportunities for tech innovations that can help travel and tourism businesses do more with less, while ensuring that remaining staff are engaged and motivated to stay in the industry. For travelers, this could mean fewer friendly faces, but more meaningful experiences and interactions.

Urs Binggeli is a senior expert in McKinsey’s Zurich office, Zi Chen is a capabilities and insights specialist in the Shanghai office, Steffen Köpke is a capabilities and insights expert in the Düsseldorf office, and Jackey Yu is a partner in the Hong Kong office.

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What next for travel and tourism? Here's what the experts say

In many countries, more than 80% of travel and tourism spending actually comes from the domestic market. Image:  Unsplash/Surface

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Stay up to date:.

• In 2020 alone, the travel and tourism sector lost $4.5 trillion and 62 million jobs globally.
• But as the world recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel and tourism can bounce back as an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient sector.
• Two experts highlight some of the key transformations in the sector going forward during the World Economic Forum's Our World in Transformation series.

The Travel & Tourism sector was one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving not only companies but also tourism-driven economies severely affected by shutdowns, travel restrictions and the disappearance of international travel.

In 2020 alone, the sector lost $4.5 trillion and 62 million jobs, impacting the living standards and well-being of communities across the globe. Moreover, the halt in international travel gave both leisure and business travellers the chance to consider the impact of their choices on the climate and environment.

Amid shifting demand dynamics and future opportunities and risks, a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient travel and tourism sector can be - and needs to be - built.

The World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021 finds that embedding inclusivity, sustainability and resilience into the travel and tourism sector as it recovers, will ensure it can continue to be a driver of global connectivity, peace and economic and social progress.

We spoke to Sandra Carvao , Chief of Market Intelligence and Competitiveness at the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and Liz Ortiguera , CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association in Thailand (PATA), and asked them to highlight some of the key areas of risk and opportunity in the sector during an episode of the World Economic Forum's Our World in Transformation series.

Have you read?

Travel & tourism development index 2021: rebuilding for a sustainable and resilient future, towards resilience and sustainability: travel and tourism development recovery, how can we really achieve sustainability in the travel sector, what are some of the top global trends you're witnessing currently in the travel and tourism sector.

Liz Ortiguera: Given the extended lockdown that we had on travel with the pandemic, vacation for friends and relatives (VFR) is now a high priority for people who haven’t been in touch for a long time thanks to the pandemic. So, people are reconnecting. And that kind of links to the second trend, which is multi-purpose or blended travel. Never before, particularly now that we can connect digitally through Zoom, has the ability to work from anywhere enabled travellers to cover multiple purposes, like visits with friends and multiple business trips. So, we'll find that the duration of travel and the length of stay is longer. And third is the continued high focus on safety and wellness which is top of mind for travellers due to the pandemic. All travel is wellness-related now.

Sandra Carvao: I think there is a bigger concern with sustainability, which is very welcome in our industry. Consumers, particularly the younger generation, are much more aware of the impact they have, not only on the environment but also socially and on the communities they live in. We've also seen an increase in expenditure per trip, so I think people are very eager to go outside, and they're staying longer. And on the other side, I think there are some challenges: we’re seeing a rise in late bookings because restrictions can change at short notice and that’s having an impact on the decisions of travellers. This is putting pressure on the industry in terms of planning and anticipating fluctuations in demand.

Social media surveys have shown that travellers who have immersive experiences are more likely to post about them, which is good for the industry.

What is community-based tourism and why is it important?

Sandra Carvao: One of the positive impacts of the pandemic is that people are looking for local experiences and are spending more time with communities. So, the concept of community-based tourism is obviously one that puts the community at the core of every development, ensuring that it's engaged and empowered and that it benefits. At the UNWTO, we worked with the G20 and the Saudi presidency back in 2020 and produced a framework for tourism development in communities, which states that communities need to be part of the planning and management of tourism activities. We need to go beyond traditional definitions of community to a point where the industry leans on partnerships between the public and private sectors and communities.

Liz Ortiguera: In July 2022, PATA is hosting a destination-marketing forum and one of the key themes is community-based tourism. The purpose is really to put the community and authenticity-in-culture activities at the heart of the travel experience. There are benefits for all stakeholders. One is that travellers can have an authentic experience. They're not in overcrowded, touristic locations and they experience something new and unique within the community. These experiences are designed in partnership with communities who get the benefit of financial inclusion, and if activities are designed properly, the reinforcement of their cultural heritage. Governments also engage in economic development more broadly across countries. Another interesting trend is creative tourism, which means you create an experience for tourists to participate in, like a dance lesson, or a cooking lesson. Social media surveys have shown that travellers who have these kinds of immersive experiences are more likely to post about them online and that's good for the industry.

It is important to emphasize that virtual experiences, while they are a fun tool, can never replace visiting a destination.

How is technology and innovation helping to leverage cultural resources?

Sandra Carvao: One interesting trend we’re seeing is that more and more people are booking trips directly, so communities need to be supported to digitize their systems. Education and upskilling of communities are important so that they can leverage digital platforms to market themselves. From the tourists’ perspective, it is important to emphasize that virtual experiences, while they are a fun tool, can never replace visiting a destination.

Liz Ortiguera: People have been living virtually for more than two years. Amazing innovations have emerged, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, and all kinds of applications and tools. But the important thing is the experience. The destination. Real-world experiences need to remain front and centre. Technology tools should be viewed as enablers and not the core experience. And when it comes to staff, technology can really democratize education. There’s an opportunity to mobilize a mobile-first approach for those who are on the frontlines, or out in the field, and can’t easily access computers, but need to get real-time information.

How is the sector dealing with labour shortages and re-employment of the workforce?

Liz Ortiguera: Labour shortages are much more dynamic in North America and in Europe. But it’s having a knock-on effect on Asia. If, for example, their air carriers are limited by staff and they have to cancel flights, which we're very much seeing out of Europe, seating capacity then becomes a limiting factor in the recovery of Asia Pacific. That's the main constraint right now. And compounding that is the rising price of fuel. But people in the Asia Pacific are keen to get reemployed.

Sandra Carvao: Labour shortages are a priority for the sector in countries around the world. Many workers left the sector during the pandemic and the uncertainty that surrounded the measures taken to contain it left many people unsure of whether the sector would recover. It is time to address things like conditions, scheduling, and work/life balance, all things which have been top of mind for workers during the pandemic. As the sector recovers, we need time to bring new hires on board and to train them to take over where those who switched jobs left off.

Are we seeing a growing trend towards domestic tourism?

Sandra Carvao: We’re talking about 9 billion people travelling within their own countries. And in many countries, for example in Germany, more than 80% of the tourism spending actually comes from the domestic market, similarly in countries like Spain and even smaller economies. Whenever it's possible to travel again, domestic markets tend to be more resilient. They kick off first mostly due to perceptions of safety and security issues. As the world economy recovers from the pandemic, there is a good opportunity for nations to rethink their strategy, look at the domestic market in a different way, and leverage different products for domestic tourists.

When it comes to sustainable tourism, how quickly could we mainstream eco-friendly modes of transportation?

Sandra Carvao: Transport is one of the key contributors to energy impacts and tourism. But it's also important that we look at the whole value chain. The UNWTO together with the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme just launched the Glasgow Declaration, which includes green commitments from destinations and companies. We’re seeing a strong movement in the airline industry to reduce emissions. But I think, obviously, technological developments will be very important. But it's also very important to look at market shifts. And we can't forget small islands and developing states that rely on long-haul air travel. It’s important to make sure that we invest in making the problem much less impactful.

Liz Ortiguera: 'Travel and tourism' is such a broad encompassing term that it’s not fair to call it an industry: it is actually a sector of many industries. The pandemic taught us how broad the impact of the sector is in terms of sustainability. There's a big movement in terms of destination resilience, which is the foundation for achieving sustainability in the journey to net-zero. We now have standards to mitigate that impact including meetings-and-events (MIE) standards and standards for tour operators. There are multiple areas within our industry where progress is being made. And I'm really encouraged by the fact that there is such a focus not just within the sector but also among consumers.

This interview was first done at the World Economic Forum's studios in Geneva as part of 'Our World in Transformation' - a live interactive event series for our digital members. To watch all the episodes and join future sessions, please subscribe here .

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According to the first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of the year,  international tourism ended 2023 at 88% of pre-pandemic levels , with an estimated 1.3 billion international arrivals .  The unleashing of remaining pent-up demand, increased air connectivity, and a stronger recovery of Asian markets and destinations, are expected to underpin a full recovery by the end of 2024 (UNWTO Tourism Barometer January 2024 – Press Release) .

An estimated 1286 million international tourists (overnight visitors) were recorded around the world in 2023, an increase of 34% over 2022. International tourism recovered 88% of pre-pandemic levels, supported by strong pent-up demand (UNWTO Tourism Barometer January 2024-Excerpt) .

International tourism is expected to fully recover pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with initial estimates pointing to 2% growth above 2019 levels. This central forecast by UNWTO remains subject to the pace of recovery in Asia and to the evolution of existing economic and geopolitical downside risks (UNWTO Tourism Barometer January 2024 – Press Release) .  

Asia and the Pacific reached 65% of pre-pandemic levels, with a gradual recovery since the start of 2023 following the reopening of several markets and destinations. However, performance among subregions were mixed, with South Asia recovering 87% of pre-pandemic levels and North-East Asia, 55% (UNWTO Tourism Barometer January 2024-Excerpt) .

There is still significant room for recovery across Asia. The recent reopening of several source markets and destinations is expected to boost recovery in the region and globally (UNWTO Tourism Barometer January 2024- Excerpt) .

Read more on the UNWTO Tourism Barometer (January 2024 excerpt) here .

About the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer

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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.

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Tourism Trends: The Latest Opportunities for The Tourism Industry of 2024

Tourism Trends

Tourism trends refer to the evolving patterns and preferences in the travel industry. These trends are important as they reflect changes in traveler behavior, emerging destinations, technological advancements, and shifts in the global economy and society. Understanding these trends is crucial for tourism businesses to adapt, innovate, and remain competitive. They help in anticipating future market demands, improving tourism experiences, and driving sustainable and responsible tourism development. Keeping up with these trends ensures the industry can meet the dynamic needs of travelers and capitalize on new opportunities.

Key Takeaways

• Wellness & Retreat Tourism: Focuses on health-improving travel.
• Eco-Travel: Reflects raising ethical and sustainability concerns, including options like volunteer conservation work.
• Personalization in Tourism: Increasing demand for tailored travel experiences, aligning closely with individual preferences.
• Cultural Tourism: Increasing interest in authentic cultural experiences, involving local traditions and historical insights.
• Bleisure Travel: Blending of business and leisure travel, often extending business trips for leisure purposes.
• Virtual Reality (VR) in Tourism: Use of VR technology to enhance visitor experiences, both for planning trips and during travel.
• Space Tourism: Emerging trend with growing interest in travel beyond Earth, offering a unique and futuristic experience.
• Travel Tech for Efficiency: Increasing the use of technology to streamline travel processes.
• Accessible Tourism: Focus on inclusivity, ensuring travel opportunities are available for people with various disabilities.

Table of Contents:

Keeping up with the Latest Tourism Trends: Why It Matters to Your Business

The factors responsible for upcoming tourism trends.

• 1. Wellness & Retreat Tourism

2. Solo Travel

• 3. Eco Travel

4. Local Experience

• 5. Sleep Tourism

6. Personalization

7. indigenous tourism, 8. healthy and organic food, 9. nostalgic travel options, 10. safety & hygiene tourism trends, 11. artificial intelligence, 12. robots, chatbots, and automation, 13. internet of things (iot), 14. recognition technology, 15. voice search & voice control, 16. growth of contactless payments, 17. customer experience 2.0, 18. virtual reality tourism trends, 19. augmented reality (ar), 20. virtual reality & metaverse travel, what are the biggest tourism trends related to marketing, what are the biggest tourism trends related to technology, learn more about tourism trends through tourism courses.

Introduction

New trends and innovations continually disrupt industries, and the tourism industry is no exception. Keeping pace with these emerging tourism trends can help businesses stay competitive and cater to customers’ needs. Some of these trends have been a direct or indirect result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on to learn more about the key trends within tourism for 2024.

Whatever aspect of the tourism sector your business is involved in, you need to keep your finger on the pulse. Formerly beloved concepts and products go out of style, replaced by more modern elements that capture more of the market. New destinations, new technologies, and means of transport have caused major shifts in the industry. Early adoption of new trends is vital.

A trend can be defined as a generalized change in a situation or behavior or a general direction in which things are transpiring. Several developments in tourism have led to changes in consumer behavior and business processes, meaning they are responsible for emerging tourism trends.

One of these developments has been a fundamental change in technology use, especially in artificial intelligence and machine learning. This has led to the increased adoption of robotics and AI-powered technology in hotels. It has also led to changes in customer behavior through the rise of voice control and search.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, travelers still focus more on hygiene and safety, needing contactless payments and remote working. Meanwhile, environmental concerns have added to the local-first approach of many customers and have given rise to trends related to organic food and eco-travel.

20 Opportunities and Tourism Trends for 2024

Following the current tourism trends in response to increasing consumer actions due to the coronary pandemic is essential. However, most patterns have arisen from more general shifts in customer behavior. Below, you can see both general hospitality developments and ways to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. There are various tourism trends based on more general changes in consumer behavior, like the need for healthy and organic food & drinks, sustainability, personalized service, the rising demand for digitalization, and the use of technology.

1. Wellness & Retreat Tourism Trends

Few tourism trends are growing as rapidly as wellness and retreat tourism, according to the Wellness Tourism Market research report by Fact.MR, the global wellness tourism market is expected to reach $2.3 trillion by the end of 2033. This kind of tourism can be described as being primarily motivated by self-improvement. It typically involves traveling in a way that contributes positively to a tourist’s physical and mental health or knowledge and awareness.

Wellness and retreat tourism takes many forms, from visiting meditation retreats or yoga retreats to staying at health spas or healthy eating retreats. In the past, vacations were often seen as a time to let go and indulge in food and alcohol, but many modern tourists actively seek trips to escape everyday temptations.

Example: Tapping Into The Wellness Tourism Boom

Leisure travel was a family affair or something that couples undertook together. While that’s still the case for many, more and more people are choosing to strike out on their own. Enjoying a solo trip is no longer so unusual, and tourist trends increasingly reflect this. The needs of solo travelers are diverse.

Some want to travel without the distraction of a companion. Others are young singles looking for social activities or to find a partner. Some widowed seniors even use long-term hotel stays or cruises as a luxurious alternative to conventional elder care. These tourism trends are set to grow and grow.

Video: 15 Perfect Destinations For Any Solo Traveler

3. Eco-Travel

The concerns and mores of the customer base heavily influence tourism trends. As a new generation becomes increasingly relevant in the marketplace, the ideals driving their purchasing decisions create new tourism trends. Eco-travel is just one example of these tourism trends, reflecting a growing concern among today’s travelers for ethical and sustainable tourism options and is only growing. According to the Ecotourism Global Market Report 2023 by Research and Markets, the global ecotourism market is expected to reach $331.62 billion by 2027.

Eco travel includes simple changes, such as the availability of carbon credits when booking a flight or the option to rent an electric instead of a conventional vehicle. More sophisticated examples might include tourism with a volunteer element, perhaps working on a nature reserve or engaging in conservation work.

Video: Ecotourism – A Sustainable Way To Travel

Today’s tourists don’t want to be insulated from the places they visit inside a cultural bubble. They want to engage with and participate in the local culture. From enjoying local cuisine to celebrating regional festivals and holidays, local experiences are set to become some of the top tourist trends to watch.

One example of a popular local experience would be visiting Japan during a major festival, renting formal Japanese clothes to wear, consuming regional delicacies, and engaging in traditional games or cultural activities. Another might be a long stay with a host family in the destination country to learn more about the local culture.

Video: A Local Travel Guide of Amsterdam

Video: Food Travel Vlog about Local Food in Hong Kong

5. Sleep Tourism Trends

Like wellness and retreat tourism trends, sleep tourism is a rapidly growing area of the tourism industry. As the name indicates, this kind of tourism places a strong emphasis on sleep. The aim of sleep tourism is to gain high-quality sleep in sufficient quantity and return from the trip well-rested and ready to tackle everyday life.

Again, this kind of tourism can take many different forms. Some sleep tourism destinations focus on meditation, while others prioritize soundproof rooms, an absence of technology and distractions, or rooms where light can be fully blocked out. Service providers tend to invest heavily in great beds, duvets, and pillows.

Example: Sleep SPA Tourism

You’re probably familiar with those ads that pop up on social media and certain other websites, ads related to things you’ve looked at or purchased online. This is just one example of personalization. As well in marketing tourism more effectively, personalization can apply to every aspect of the tourist experience.

Today’s consumers expect experiences that closely match their preferences, from destinations to accommodation and activities they’ll engage in. The more closely an experience can be tailored to a client’s desires and expectations, the more likely they are to return and use the same service again.

Video: Personalized Marketing by Nicole Martin

You can read more detailed information and examples of personalization marketing in tourism in the article “Ways Personalization Marketing is Used in the Tourism Industry.”

Many emerging tourism trends are geared toward making tourism more ethical and less harmful. Another example is the growth of indigenous tourism, which can be described as tourism experiences owned and operated by indigenous people. This helps to ensure these people benefit most from the tourism in their area.

For tourists, indigenous tourism provides exciting opportunities to take on new experiences in a way that is completely authentic. These experiences could involve staying in traditional accommodations, eating traditional foods, experiencing life in remote locations, or temporarily living as indigenous people live.

Example: Indigenous Tourism Industry

Healthy food and the kind of fare consumed by tourists used to be antonyms in the minds of many travelers, with holidays traditionally representing a chance to break one’s diet and indulge in forbidden treats. Today’s travelers know that delicious and nutritious are not exclusive concepts.

Demand for excellent cuisine with a view to better nutrition drives new tourism trends. Modern tourists want to know that their food is as healthy as delicious. The organic food movement also affects tourism trends, with more eateries and hotels offering organic options. Other special diets are also represented.

Video: Organic Holiday in Italy

Tourism trends are also increasingly being impacted by a generalized thirst for nostalgia among the public, and nostalgic travel options represent a significant opportunity for businesses. Nostalgia can inform travel decisions in several ways, such as a longing for simpler times and encouraging travelers to book trips to remote locations.

Alternatively, nostalgia could see travelers focus on domestic trips, particularly on places they visited when they were younger. Some travelers may also focus on destinations with which they have a long-established connection, such as through films they have enjoyed, video games they have played, or music they love.

Whether it is airlines, cruises, hotels, restaurants, or bars since the outbreak of COVID, safety, and hygiene standards have been paramount. With this in mind, several tourism trends are related to this, such as increased cleaning, socially distanced seating, providing hand gel, and enforcing masks in some settings.

This is also now a vital part of tourism marketing, with companies needing to clarify their hygiene and safety policies and measures to keep customers safe. The threat of COVID has meant people are more reluctant to travel and visit tourism hot spots, so they must be persuaded that it is safe.

The “Hygiene is the New Marketing Message for Hotels” post explains this trend in more detail.

As well as the aforementioned chatbots, artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important to the tourism industry . Machine learning technology is now firmly entrenched in the marketing of the tourism sector, with AI helping to personalize the experience of finding and booking tours and trips.

AI is also increasingly valuable in contexts such as smart hotel rooms, identifying the likely needs of guests and fine-tuning the environment and services to fit the guest’s needs and preferences. Artificial intelligence is finding applications everywhere, from customer service to security. Future AI tourism trends to watch out for might include self-driving vehicles and virtual guides for tourism.

Video: AI for Marketing & Growth 

Video: Example Hotel Chatbot

Find more detailed information and examples of artificial intelligence use cases in the tourism industry in the article “How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Travel Industry.”

One of the more eye-catching examples of these particular tourism trends is Connie, the Hilton Hotel chain’s robot concierge. Other hotels have also got in on the robot-staff trend, installing interactive robots to handle certain reception duties or even having them serve food and drink to visitors.

However, this kind of novelty application is far from the only one. Many customers now book their travel and accommodation with the help of internet chatbots, specifically tailored AI, which can handle queries and assist customers with useful information when human operators are unavailable.

Video: Alibaba’s ‘Future Hotel’ Uses Robots

Video: Autonomous Security Robots for Airports

In the article “Robots in the Tourism Industry: Real-World Examples” , find more detailed information about how to use robots in the tourism industry.

IoT is relevant to many tourism trends. IoT devices are gadgets equipped with a microprocessor and digital connectivity, allowing them to connect to and be controlled from the internet. IoT devices include heating and cooling systems, entertainment systems, and other items often found in a hotel room, giving rise to “smart” hotel rooms.

The IoT is also used to integrate services in a hospitality setting, for example, by allowing guests to book activities (a session in the hotel’s spa, swimming in the pool, training in the gym, etc.) or request such things as room service or extra linen via a hub or a smartphone application.

Example: Iot for Airports

Video: IoT Monitoring for the Restaurant Industry

Find more detailed information about the ‘Internet of Things’ in the tourism industry in the article “How the Internet of Things (IoT) Can Benefit the Tourism Industry.”

Recognition technology is one of those increasingly important travel and tourism trends that’s starting to creep into many different areas. One of the most familiar recognition technology applications for a frequent traveler is the bank of automatic gates at some borders.

The gates can read the data on the traveler’s passport or ID card and match it to their face using a camera and facial recognition technology. Recognition technology is one of the big tourism trends in the hospitality industry, with voice recognition becoming increasingly popular as a method of control in smart hotel rooms.

Video: KLM’s Smart Pack Assistant on Google Home

Video: Airports Roll Out Facial Recognition Technology

Find more detailed information about Recognition technology in the tourism industry in the articles “How Can Voice Control Benefit the Tourism Industry?” and “Ways Facial Recognition Can Be Used in the Travel Industry.”

With home smart speakers growing in popularity and mobile assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Bixby, more tourism customers are turning to voice search. For those in the tourism industry, it is important to capture these guests by structuring website content properly so it appears in voice search and allows for voice bookings.

Tourist information is a key part of the customer experience with many companies, and voice control and AI can be invaluable here. Moreover, hotel rooms can include smart speakers or other IoT devices that are compatible with voice control, allowing users to more easily turn devices on and off or change settings within their rooms.

Video: Example #1 Voice Search & Assistant within Travel Industry

Video: Example #2 Voice Search for Booking Your Holiday

Check out “How Can Voice Control Benefit the Travel Industry?” for further insights.

Contactless payments have been a staple in technology in tourism for some time now. Still, the emergence of options like Google Pay and Apple Pay has helped take this to the next level, meaning customers do not need to carry around a debit card or credit card to pay for meals, hotel stays, transport, and other services.

Allowing contactless payments has enabled tourism companies to reduce friction and improve the speed of check-ins and check-outs. It also means goods can be paid for swiftly, encouraging spontaneous purchases. With the coronavirus, contactless payments are in greater demand than ever, as staff and customers often prefer to avoid handling cash.

Video: How Do Contactless Payments Work?

Read “4 Reasons Why Contactless Payments are Becoming Popular Within the Travel Industry” for more information.

Of course, the customer experience has always been central to the tourist industry. With new technologies and an ever-broadening array of tourist options, enhancing the customer experience has never been more vital. In the final analysis, customer experience will make or break your business.

Fine-tuning the experience can make the difference between creating a loyal repeat customer who boosts your business via word of mouth and one who drops out at the booking stage. Everything from the web interface where your clients book their trips to the last day of their journey must be as enjoyable as possible.

Video: Technology and Customer Experience Across the Travel Industry

In the article “8 Ways to Improve Customer Experience in the Travel Industry,” you will find eight of the most effective ways for those in the tourism industry to improve customer experience for customers.

Virtual reality is another major tourism trend disrupting the industry, and capitalizing on the technology can give you an edge over rivals who have not yet adopted it. Through online VR tours, customers can experience hotel interiors, restaurant interiors, outdoor tourist attractions, and more from their homes.

Crucially, they can do this at the decision-making phase of the customer journey. This can be the difference between customers completing a booking or backing out. VR is especially useful after COVID-19, where customers may need extra encouragement to press ahead with their plans.

Most modern VR tours are web-based and can be viewed through any mainstream web browser. The quality of the VR tour and the extent of immersion can then be improved further through VR headsets.

Video: A Guided Virtual Reality City Tour Through Rome

Video: Atlantis Dubai Virtual Hotel Tour

Find more detailed information and examples about how virtual reality can benefit your business in the article “How Virtual Reality is Transforming the Travel Industry” .

Where VR simulates entire environments and experiences, augmented reality combines real-world experiences and virtual elements. A familiar example would be the smartphone game Pokémon Go, where imaginary creatures are superimposed on real-time footage of the player’s environment. In the tourist industry, this is very useful: instead of fantasy monsters.

AR smartphone apps can show tourists information about the area they’re exploring. This could be historical details about buildings and landmarks or listings and menus for entertainment venues and local eateries. Museums use AR increasingly, allowing visitors to view artifacts with their original appearance as a virtual overlay. Other augmented reality applications might include internet-enabled virtual maps.

Video: Menu AR – a menu of restaurants in augmented reality

Video: Example Augmented Reality Within the Hotel Industry

Find more detailed information and examples about how augmented reality can benefit your business in the article “How Augmented Reality is Revolutionising the Travel Industry” .

Virtual reality and metaverse travel are among the most important tourism trends the industry is trying to capitalize on. Virtual reality technology allows for the recreation of real-world environments within a digital setting, which allows customers to gain a sense of what a location is like before booking.

The metaverse takes this to the next level by allowing social interactions within this digital environment. This means bookings can be made while still exploring, and customers can communicate with travel agents or other potential travelers. The “ Metaverse Travel: How the Metaverse Will Change the Travel Industry ” article explains more.

Marketing has a major role to play in the success of any hotel, and marketers must be able to keep pace with emerging tourism trends in this area. Examples of these trends include an increased focus on local customers, the rise of virtual reality-based marketing techniques, and a need to prioritize voice search.

Read the “ Tourism Marketing: Brand New Marketing Tips to Boost Your Results “ article to learn more about these tourism marketing trends and various other useful tourism marketing strategies.

Some of the most important tourism trends impacting customer behavior and influencing the industry are technology-related. Examples include voice recognition technology, contactless payments, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, facial recognition, and the continued rise of the Internet of Things.

Check out our “Key Technology Trends Emerging in the Travel Industry in” article for more information on technology trends related to tourism, complete with explanations for why each trend is important.

Specialized tourism courses can be highly valuable for those pursuing careers in the industry because they teach about tourism trends, along with important skills, strategies, and techniques related to management, marketing, finances, and much more. Various courses are available, ranging from short courses to full-time degrees.

You can find out much more about the courses on offer, what they cover, how they can benefit you, and where you can actually study them by reading “Tourism Course: A Complete Overview of Courses & Tourism Educators” .

The Most Popular Tourism Job Boards

Keeping up-to-date with the latest tourism trends can be essential for finding work and achieving career success in the tourism industry. Of course, another essential part of finding work is searching for vacancies, and one of the best ways to do this is to visit dedicated tourism job boards.

Read “Tourism Jobs: The Best Tourism Industry Job Boards for Your Career” for more information on job boards, including a breakdown of different platforms focused on the hospitality industry, airlines, the cruise industry, and more.

List of Travel Agencies to Improve Your Bookings

In recent years, the biggest tourism trend has been the change from off-line travel agencies to online travel agencies. When customers search online for travel products or services, they often seek information on the websites of travel agencies instead of consulting individual company websites. It is wise to connect to travel agencies, so you are present and can be found through their channels.

In “List of travel agencies to connect your business to” you will find a comprehensive list of different travel agency platforms. You can learn more about how travel agencies can contribute to increasing your bookings.

Tourism Trends FAQs

How does technology affect the tourism industry.

Technology affects the tourism industry by improving booking processes, enhancing customer service with AI, providing travelers with more information and convenience through mobile apps, and offering immersive experiences with VR and AR.

Why is tourism rising?

Tourism is rising due to increasing global affluence, improved transportation networks, digital connectivity making travel more accessible, a growing interest in exploring new cultures and destinations, and the industry’s adaptation to post-pandemic safety and health measures.

Why is tourism popular?

Tourism is popular because it satisfies diverse interests, from exploring new cultures and landscapes to seeking relaxation and luxury. It’s driven by a desire for new experiences, increased global connectivity, and improved disposable income levels.

What is tourism demand?

Tourism demand refers to consumers’ desire and willingness to spend on travel and tourism-related services. It’s influenced by various factors, such as economic conditions, cultural trends, marketing efforts, and natural or man-made attractions.

Will tourism change in the future?

Yes, tourism will change in the future, driven by technological advancements, changing traveler expectations, environmental considerations, and global socio-economic shifts. The industry will continue to evolve to meet new challenges and cater to the next generation of travelers.

Embracing the latest tourism trends is vital for success. Whether adding IoT devices to a hotel’s rooms or creating an AR app to guide your customers around their destination city, it’s never too early to adopt these crucial trends for your business model.

Want to Learn More About Trends in Related Industries?

It is essential to be aware of all the upcoming trends in the hospitality & tourism-related industries. While some trends can affect multiple industries, some are specific to the industry. You can learn more about trends within different industries in the following articles.

• Hotel Trends: Discover The Latest Developments in The Hotel Industry!
• Revenue Management Trends: Discover the Latest Developments
• Hospitality Trends: The Latest Trends in The Hospitality Industry
• Travel Trends: Opportunities for the Travel Industry

More Tips to Grow Your Business

This article is written by:.

Martijn Barten

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Tourism Meaning: Learn About the Definition of the Tourism Industry

18 comments.

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Tourism’s Importance for Growth Highlighted in World Economic Outlook Report

• All Regions
• 10 Nov 2023

Tourism has again been identified as a key driver of economic recovery and growth in a new report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). With UNWTO data pointing to a return to 95% of pre-pandemic tourist numbers by the end of the year in the best case scenario, the IMF report outlines the positive impact the sector’s rapid recovery will have on certain economies worldwide.

According to the World Economic Outlook (WEO) Report , the global economy will grow an estimated 3.0% in 2023 and 2.9% in 2024. While this is higher than previous forecasts, it is nevertheless below the 3.5% rate of growth recorded in 2022, pointing to the continued impacts of the pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and from the cost-of-living crisis.

Tourism key sector for growth

The WEO report analyses economic growth in every global region, connecting performance with key sectors, including tourism. Notably, those economies with "large travel and tourism sectors" show strong economic resilience and robust levels of economic activity. More specifically, countries where tourism represents a high percentage of GDP   have recorded faster recovery from the impacts of the pandemic in comparison to economies where tourism is not a significant sector.

As the report Foreword notes: "Strong demand for services has supported service-oriented economies—including important tourism destinations such as France and Spain".

Looking Ahead

The latest outlook from the IMF comes on the back of UNWTO's most recent analysis of the prospects for tourism, at the global and regional levels. Pending the release of the November 2023 World Tourism Barometer , international tourism is on track to reach 80% to 95% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023. Prospects for September-December 2023 point to continued recovery, driven by the still pent-up demand and increased air connectivity particularly in Asia and the Pacific where recovery is still subdued.

Related links

• Download the News Release on PDF
• UNWTO World Tourism Barometer
• IMF World Economic Outlook

Category tags

Related content, international tourism to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2024, international tourism to end 2023 close to 90% of pre-p..., international tourism swiftly overcoming pandemic downturn, tourism on track for full recovery as new data shows st....

Travel & Tourism - United States

• United States
• The Travel & Tourism market is expected to generate a revenue of US$198.70bn in the United States by 2024.
• The market is projected to grow at an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2028) of 2.90%, resulting in a market volume of US$222.80bn by 2028.
• The Hotels market is the largest market in the market and is expected to reach a projected market volume of US$110.50bn in 2024.
• By 2028, the number of users in the Hotels market is expected to reach 167.50m users.
• The user penetration rate is projected to increase from 67.5% in 2024 to 69.3% in 2028.
• The average revenue per user (ARPU) is estimated to be US$0.86k.
• By 2028, 72% of the total revenue in the Travel & Tourism market is expected to be generated through online sales.
• In terms of global comparison, United States is projected to generate the highest revenue in the market, with a revenue of US$198.70bn in 2024.
• The United States' Travel & Tourism industry has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in decreased international travel and a shift towards domestic travel.

Key regions: Malaysia , Europe , Singapore , Vietnam , United States

Definition:

The Travel & Tourism market encompasses a diverse range of accommodation services catering to the needs and preferences of travelers. This dynamic market includes package holidays, hotel accommodations, private vacation rentals, camping experiences, and cruises.

The market consists of five further markets.

• The Cruises market covers multi-day vacation trips on a cruise ship. The Cruises market encompasses exclusively passenger ticket revenues.
• The Vacation Rentals market comprises of private accommodation bookings which includes private holiday homes and houses as well as short-term rental of private rooms or flats.
• The Hotels market includes stays in hotels and professionally run guest houses.
• The Package Holidays market comprises of travel deals that normally contain travel and accommodation sold for one price, although optional further provisions can be included such as catering and tourist services.
• The Camping market includes bookings at camping sites for pitches using tents, campervans, or trailers. These can be associated with big chains or privately managed campsites.

Additional Information:

The main performance indicators of the Travel & Tourism market are revenues, average revenue per user (ARPU), users and user penetration rates. Additionally, online and offline sales channel shares display the distribution of online and offline bookings. The ARPU refers to the average revenue one user generates per year while the revenue represents the total booking volume. Revenues are generated through both online and offline sales channels and include exclusively B2C revenues and users for the above-mentioned markets. Users represent the aggregated number of guests. Each user is only counted once per year. Additional definitions for each market can be found within the respective market pages.

The booking volume includes all booked travels made by users from the selected region, independent of the departure and arrival. The scope includes domestic and outbound travel.

Prominent players in this sector include online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia and Opodo, as well as tour operators such as TUI. Specialized platforms like Hotels.com, Booking.com, and Airbnb facilitate the online booking of hotels and private accommodations, contributing significantly to the market's vibrancy.

For further information on the data displayed, refer to the info button right next to each box.

• Bookings directly via the website of the service provider, travel agencies, online travel agencies (OTAs) or telephone

out-of-scope

• Business trips
• Other forms of trips (e.g. excursions, etc.)

Travel & Tourism

• Vacation Rentals
• Package Holidays
• Analyst Opinion

The Travel & Tourism market in United States has been experiencing significant growth and development in recent years. Customer preferences: Travelers in the United States are increasingly seeking unique and authentic experiences, driving the demand for personalized and tailored travel packages. Additionally, there is a growing interest in sustainable and eco-friendly tourism practices among consumers. Trends in the market: One prominent trend in the United States travel market is the rise of experiential travel, where travelers prioritize activities and interactions that allow them to immerse themselves in the local culture. Furthermore, the use of technology, such as mobile apps for booking accommodations and experiences, has become increasingly popular among travelers in the country. Local special circumstances: The United States boasts a diverse range of attractions and destinations, from vibrant cities to picturesque natural landscapes, catering to a wide variety of traveler preferences. Additionally, the country's well-developed infrastructure and transportation networks make it easily accessible for both domestic and international tourists. Underlying macroeconomic factors: The strong economy in the United States has contributed to the growth of the Travel & Tourism market, as consumers have more disposable income to spend on leisure activities. Additionally, favorable government policies and initiatives to promote tourism have further supported the expansion of the market in the country.

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