2023 Travel and Tourism Statistics

It's 2023 the the modern traveler is evolving again. Luckily, those who are studying the travel and tourism industry are sharing their findings with the world.

Travelers have big plans for 2023. Many have their sights set on international destinations, others are planning multiple trips to visit the family and friends they haven't seen in years. Perhaps most the most positive trend for the travel industry is the number of people excited to immerse themselves in local culture by supporting local shops and restaurants. 

If you have members, customers or employees (basically anyone you would like to keep around for a long and profitable relationship) then listen up. Among the best corporate discount programs, association member benefits, white-label rewards programs, and membership perks in general, discounted travel is often among the most hotly pursued additions to the mix. 

To better understand today’s traveler, we at Access have compiled statistics from research studies by travel and tourism related sources. This article is for statistics published in 2023. As always, you can find all these and more from recent years in our Travel and Tourism Statistics: The Ultimate Collection. 

We focused statistics about Americans who travel – though worldwide stats creep into the mix from time to time. Occasionally, some data conflicts between sources and studies. We’ll leave it up to you to decipher which is most accurate. We've provided source links for each statistic.

This list will be updated throughout the year with all the latest and greatest statistics we can find. If you know of any fascinating statistics, studies or reports that we're missing, or if you want your own research included in our collection, leave us a note in the comments. Enjoy the journey!

• 2023 The Cost of Travel: How Much People Spend
• 2023 Demographics: A Profile of People Who Travel
• 2023 Destinations: Where People Go When They Travel
• 2023 Reasons & Decisions: Why People Travel & How They Decide
• 2023 Activities: What People Do When They Travel
• 2023 Other Travel Statistics

2023 Travel Costs: How Much People Spend

• When comparing travel prices of April 2019 (last pre-pandemic month) to April 2023: (Nerd Wallet, 2023)
  • Airfare prices are up 9.6%
  • Hotel prices are up 15.3%
  • Car rental prices are up 51.4%
  • Restaurant prices are up 24.2%
  • Entertainment prices are up 18.2%
• Despite inflationary pressures, only 5% of travelers said they will or have already decreased their travel budget (Insider Intelligence, 2023)
• 34% of consumers say their personal financial situation has a negative impact on their willingness to travel (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 69% of travelers would spend more during a vacation if they knew it supported the local community (American Express, 2023)
• Nearly 25% of global travelers plan to travel more frugally in 2023 (Expedia, 2023)
• 38% of travelers cook their own food to cut down on vacation costs (Expedia, 2023)
• 84% of travelers plan to spend more on travel this year than in 2022 (Hopper, 2023)
• Travelers who fly midweek can save an average of $90 off domestic airfare and $140 on international airfare (Hopper, 2023)
• 56% of travelers plan to increase per person travel spending over 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year) (The IRF, 2023)
• 85% of travelers from North America and 73% from the rest of the world are most concerned about inflation and rising costs (The IRF, 2023)
• U.S. businesses expect their international share of travel costs will jump 33% in 2023 (Deloitte, 2023)
• 1/3 of US businesses say they need to reduce travel per employee by more than 20% to meet their 2030 sustainability targets (Deloitte, 2023)
• 71% of US businesses expect a full recovery in travel spend by the end of 2024 (Deloitte, 2023)
• US businesses expect to that 33% of their business travel budget will be on international trips (16% on trips to Europe, 10% to South America and 10% to Asia) (Deloitte, 2023)
• Higher travel prices is the number one factor slowing the return of business travel, followed by travel restrictions and reduced travel budgets (Deloitte, 2023)
• 90% of businesses will reimburse for non-hotel accommodations, up from 50% in 2022 (Deloitte, 2023)
• To help control business travel spending, 59% of businesses are picking cheaper, alternative lodging, 58% are negotiating preferred rates, 56% are picking lower-cost flights and 45% are limiting travel frequency (Deloitte, 2023)
• 49% of travelers will spend more on travel in 2023 because of missed vacations during the pandemic. 43% will maximize their experience and 33% will shop for items not available back home (Booking.com, 2023)
• The highest priority for most travelers financially is restaurants/dining experience (34%) followed by suitable accommodations (32%), all-inclusive accommodations (28%), travel insurance (27%) and purchasing souvenirs (25%) (Booking.com, 2023)
• Travelers save money when booking vacations by: (Booking.com, 2023)
  • Using deals, hacks and smartly-timed travel (63%)
  • Planning further in advance (61%)
  • Using discounts and loyalty programs (60%)
  • Taking 2 longer vacations rather than more short ones (55%)
  • Choosing off-season destinations or longer routes (53%)
• 69% of millennials use technology to help save money when traveling (Booking.com, 2023)
• When booking a hotel, 23% of travelers most value finding atypically low pricing, 21% value the ability to get a full refund on cancellations and 14% value enhanced and frequent cleaning methods most (Expedia, 2023)
• 60% of travelers say “getting the right price” is the most important feature of online travel booking sites (Expedia, 2023)
• When booking travel, consumers value the following deals the most: (Expedia, 2023)
  • A complimentary add-on (like free parking) (33%)
  • A discount for booking in advance (33%)
  • A discount for booking a package (32%)
  • A discount for booking last minute (22%)
  • A discount for booking a longer stay or trip (22%)
  • A discount for booking through a mobile app (21%)
  • A discount for a specific location (20%)
  • A discount for being a member of the travel provider’s loyalty program (17%)
• 37% of travelers prioritize lowest cost when booking travel, 35% prioritize minimizing COVID-19 exposure (Expedia, 2023)
• 51% of consumers say inflation will impact their travel plans over the next 12 months (Expedia, 2023)
• 31% of travelers say their travel budget will be the same this year as it was last year, 43% have a larger budget this year (Expedia, 2023)
• 1 in 3 consumers are planning an upcoming business trip (Expedia, 2023)

2023 Traveler Demographics: A Profile of People Who Travel

• U.S. adults who are members of a travel loyalty or rewards program as of February 2023 include: (Insider Intelligence, 2023)
  • 42% of Gen Z
  • 48% of Millennials
  • 38% of Gen X
  • 41% of Baby Boomers
  • 29% of people making less than $50K
  • 55% of people making $50K-$100K
  • 76% of people making $100K or more
• 67% of millennials and gen z plan to travel more in 2023 than in 2022 (iSeatz, 2023)

2023 Travel Destinations: Where People Go When They Travel

• Based on searches for lodgings, the following locations are fastest growing in interest for 2023: Edinburg Scotland, Lisbon Portugal, Tokyo Japan, Dublin Ireland, New York USA (Expedia, 2023)
• 16% of travelers traveled internationally in April 2023, the highest in years (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 1/3 of travelers with leisure trips planned this year will travel internationally, 13 points higher than the same time last year (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 78% of travelers with leisure trips planned this year will travel domestically (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 48% of leisure travelers research potential destinations, 54% select a destination, 56% arrange transportation to get there and 54% arrange accommodations 3 months or less in advance (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 57% of business travelers research potential destinations, 54% select a destination, 64% arrange transportation to get there and 61% arrange accommodations 3 months or less in advance (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 68% of people pride themselves on finding lesser-known vacation spots before they become popular (American Express, 2023)
• When choosing a destination 52% of travelers trust the recommendations of friends and family most, 44% look to travel providers for inspiration and 33% look to social media (Expedia, 2023)
• 51% of consumers plan to travel by air in the next 12 months (Expedia, 2023)
• The average trip to the U.S. is 4.5 days, half a day shorter than the previous year (Hopper, 2023)
• The average trip to Europe is 16.1 days, which is 1.3 days more than the previous year (Hopper, 2023)
• The average trip to Africa and the Mideast is 24.5 days, which is 0.7 days more than the previous year (Hopper, 2023)
• The average trip to Asia is 31.4 days, which is 7 days more than the previous year (Hopper, 2023)
• The average trip to Oceania is 21 days, which is 1.6 days more than the previous year (Hopper, 2023)
• The average trip to South America is 16.4 days, which is 0.4 days more than the previous year (Hopper, 2023)
• 1 in 2 consumers are likely to travel internationally in the next 12 months or already have a trip booked (Expedia, 2023)

2023 Reasons & Decisions: Why People Travel & How They Decide

• 46% of travelers will opt for the travel option with the best customer reviews over the best value (Expedia, 2023)
• 61% of travelers named price as a top priority when booking transportation, 49% said a brand’s safety measures, 41% said fare flexibility, 38% said past experience with a brand, 29% said amenities available, 22% said environmental impact (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 62% of travelers named price as a top priority when booking accommodations, 48% said a brand’s safety measures, 45% said rate flexibility, 39% said past experience with a brand, 37% said amenities available, 31% said loyalty program perks and 28% said potential to earn/redeem loyalty points (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 59% of travelers booked a leisure trip because they want to get away (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 52% of travelers booked a leisure trip because they want to visit family or friends (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 17% of leisure travelers booked a trip for a special event (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 11% of travelers booked a leisure trip because they found a deal they couldn’t pass up (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 85% of people plan to take 2+ leisure trips in 2023 (American Express, 2023)
• 78% of people see travel as an important budget priority (American Express, 2023)
• 74% of people care more about creating a travel experience that meets their expectations than about the cost (American Express, 2023)
• 89% of people want to travel to destinations they’ve never visited before (American Express, 2023)
• 79% of Gen-Z an millennials would love to participate in “a day in the life of locals” at their travel destinations (American Express, 2023)
• 75% of travelers have been inspired by social media to a specific destination, 64% were inspired by TV shows, movies or the news (American Express, 2023)
• 48% of travelers want to travel somewhere so they can show off on social media (American Express, 2023)
• 47% of travelers are influenced by recommendations from family and friends in choosing travel destinations (American Express, 2023)
• 66% of gen-z and millennials get most of their inspiration for what and where to eat while traveling from social media (American Express, 2023)
• 2/3 of travelers have considered, and 39% have booked trips to destinations after seeing them on streamed shows or movies (Expedia, 2023)
• Globally, 38% of travelers plan to book a hotel with extras like plush toiletries or free breakfast (Expedia, 2023)
• On average, travelers first search for their trip 5 weeks before departure, and book 3 weeks before departure (Hopper, 2023)
• 40% of travelers start researching with firm destination and dates in mind (Hopper, 2023)
• 37% of travelers start researching with flexible destination and dates (Hopper, 2023)
• 55% of consumers plan to travel more in 2023 than they did in 2022 (iSeatz, 2023)
• 72% of consumers who received personalized recommendations on their booking site report that their loyalty programs deliver what they value most, only 48% of those who receive personalized recommendations through email say the same (iSeatz, 2023)
• About 1/3 of travels are likely to choose a destination that is within a drivable distance (Expedia, 2023)
• 62% of people prefer to drive when traveling, making it the most popular mode of transportation (Expedia, 2023)
• 23% of travelers are seeking a once-in-a-lifetime experience (Expedia, 2023)
• 43% of travelers will use virtual reality to inspire destination choices (Booking.com, 2023)
• 73% of travelers are more optimistic about travel in 2023 than they were in 2022 (Booking.com, 2023)
• 72% of travelers say traveling is still worth it even amidst of global economic and political uncertainty (Booking.com, 2023)
• 70% of travelers say they are more likely to choose travel options that are more inclusive, even if they’re more expensive (Expedia, 2023)
• U.S. travelers return to booking apps to double check travel prices 33% more often (Hopper, 2023)
• On average, travelers allow 30% less travel planning time when researching and booking trips (Hopper, 2023)
• 29% of travelers will travel in 2023 related to trips or events that were delayed by the pandemic (Hopper, 2023)
• 77% of travelers will tack personal travel onto their work trip (Hopper, 2023)
• 57% of travelers prioritize making sure the experience is worth the cost, 51% prioritize cleanliness and safety (Expedia, 2023)
• 49% of travelers say they are motivated to travel for physical and mental health benefits, 49% for a change in scenery, 46% want to make up for lost time with friends and family (Expedia, 2023)
• 78% of people have made a travel choice based on promotions or ad they felt represented them through messaging or visuals (Expedia, 2023)
• 60% of travel businesses have made changes in the last year to increase inclusivity and accessibility, an additional 21% have plans to do so (Expedia, 2023)
• 90% of consumers are looking for sustainable options when traveling (Expedia, 2023)
• 47% of consumers would never book non-refundable lodging, and 51% would never book non-refundable transportation (Expedia, 2023)
• 76% of business travelers plan to extend a work trip for leisure purposes in the next 12 months (Expedia, 2023)
• 28% of people plan to take a trip in the next 12 months which will include both remote work and vacation leisure (Expedia, 2023)
• 37% of people will travel for business for the reason of meeting and working with customers, 32% for industry conferences and events and 26% for internal team meetings (Expedia, 2023)

2023 Travel Activities: What People Do When They Travel

• The most popular types of vacations this year are: (Booking.com, 2023)
  • Nostalgic getaways (88%)
  • Blowing the budget (80%)
  • Laid back luxe life (78%)
  • Getting out of comfort zone (73%)
  • Nightlife-centric vacations (72%)
  • Adventure backpacking (70%)
  • Wilderness survival (67%)
• 29% of travelers are planning a cruise in the next year (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 48% of travelers say they trust cruise companies (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 83% of travelers want to shop at small businesses when they travel to a new location (American Express, 2023)
• 88% of travelers believe that dining and shopping at local small businesses brings a more authentic experience (American Express, 2023)
• 81% of travelers most look forward to trying local foods while traveling (American Express, 2023)
• 37% of travelers planned an entire trip around visiting a specific restaurant and 35% have planned a trip around attending a food festival (American Express, 2023)
• 66% of travelers want their trips to be strictly work-free in 2023 (Booking.com, 2023)
• 61% of travelers want to visit a theme park in 2023 (Booking.com, 2023)
• 82% of travelers enjoy walking as their favorite activity to stay healthy while walking (American Express, 2023)
• 72% of travelers are more focused on self-care than they were a year ago (American Express, 2023)
• 57% of travelers plan to take an extended vacation to focus on wellness (American Express, 2023)
• 89% of people taking an incentive trip ranked ample time for relaxation as the most important quality of incentive travel (The IRF, 2023)
• 52% of credit card loyalty programs offer tours and activities redemption, 37% offer live events redemption, 19% offer dining redemption and 15% offer wellness redemption (iSeatz, 2023)
• Increased attendance at live events is the number one driver of increased business travel in 2023, followed by the easing of travel restrictions and the reopening of their own offices (Deloitte, 2023)
• 50% of travelers want to experience culture shock in 2023 (Booking.com, 2023)

2023 Other Travel Statistics

• 77% of travel businesses operate a loyalty program (Expedia, 2023)
• 44% of consumers belong to a travel loyalty program (Expedia, 2023)
• 61% of female and 58% of male travelers now pay more attention to travel discounts offered through loyalty programs than they did before the pandemic (Booking.com, 2023)
• Experts predict the number of people participating in incentive travel programs will increase by 48% in 2023 and 61% in 2024 (The IRF, 2023)
• 46% of all U.S. adults are members of a travel loyalty/rewards program, with millennials the most likely to be members (56%) (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 84% of high-income earners are members of a travel loyalty/rewards program (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 61% of travelers plan to redeem points or rewards for travel in the next 6 months, of which 7% plan to redeem in the next month (Morning Consult, 2023)
• Members of travel loyalty programs most value getting the following perks of membership: (Expedia, 2023)
  • Special discounted pricing (52%)
  • Collecting points to redeem for future purchases (46%)
  • Complimentary upgrades/add-ons (42%)
  • Exclusive access to amenities and services (34%)
  • Prioritized customer service (26%)
• 53% of travelers say it is more important now than it was before the pandemic to stay with providers where they are a loyalty member (Expedia, 2023)
• Among people with business travel planned in the next three months: (Morning Consult, 2023)
  • 48% plan to stay at a chain hotel
  • 32% plan to stay with family and friends
  • 28% plan to stay in a vacation rental
  • 55% plan to travel with their own car
  • 44% plan to travel by plane
  • 21% plan to travel by bus
  • 16% plan to travel by train
• Air travel demand in April 2023 rose 10% over April 2022, bringing it to equal April 2019, the last pre-pandemic year (US Travel Assoc, 2023)
• Hotel stay demand in April 2023 rose 2% over April 2022, but is still 2% below April 2019 levels, the last pre-pandemic year (US Travel Assoc, 2023)
• Overseas arrivals into the U.S. in April 2023 dropped 27% from April 2022, and are still 27% below April 2019 levels, the last pre-pandemic year (US Travel Assoc, 2023)
• Globally, 35% of travelers plan to stay in 1- to 3-star hotels in 2023 (Expedia, 2023)
• Demand for vacation rental private homes in U.S. western destinations is up by more than 30% (Expedia, 2023)
• 43% of travelers say that saving money is what they value most from their loyalty programs (iSeatz, 2023)
• 32% of loyalty program providers include travel awards as part of their earning and redemption options (iSeatz, 2023)
• 61% of travelers believe their loyalty programs are helping them save money and get more value from travel experiences (iSeatz, 2023)
• Loyalty providers reported their top goals for 2023 as increasing membership (59%), boost engagement (59%), increase customer lifetime value (40%), increase participation and total spend through the loyalty program (39%) and introduce new rewards and earn/burn options (39%) (iSeatz, 2023)
• 86% of loyalty programs with travel rewards have booking capabilities (iSeatz, 2023)
• 29% of loyalty programs with travel booking capabilities describe their program as “state of the art” (iSeatz, 2023)
• 25% of consumers dislike that they can’t book all travel options they want in one place with their loyalty program (iSeatz, 2023)
• 24% of consumers have a hard time understanding their travel loyalty program’s earning and redemption rules (iSeatz, 2023)
• 59% of consumers would engage more with their loyalty program if given deeper discounts, 31% if given more exclusive options, 25% if given a better booking experience and 40% if given a broader selection of rewards (iSeatz, 2023)
• 81% of gen z like personalize ads, 57% of millennials do not prefer personalized ads (iSeatz, 2023)
• 37% of consumers receive personalized recommendations via their loyalty program booking site (iSeatz, 2023)
• 31% of consumers say they would likely use a buy now, pay later option if offered by their travel loyalty program, 27% would likely use price/fare freezing, 16% would use digital wallet acceptance and 5% would use cryptocurrency acceptance (iSeatz, 2023)
• 36% of millennials and 44% of gen z would be more likely to book a trip through their loyalty program if the provider contributed a portion to sustainability causes (iSeatz, 2023)
• 44% of consumers would be more likely to book sustainable travel options if given a bonus or incentive for doing so (iSeatz, 2023)
• 31% of consumers want their travel rewards provider to add buy now, pay later options, with millennials and gen z being the most likely to want this at 53% (iSeatz, 2023)
• 63% of loyalty providers believe they are their members’ first choice when booking travel (iSeatz, 2023)
• 51% of consumers visit their loyalty program website first when booking travel (iSeatz, 2023)
• 20% of travel loyalty program providers say user experience is their biggest challenge (iSeatz, 2023)
• 92% of travel loyalty program providers believe they are delivering on their members’ needs, only 52% of members agree (iSeatz, 2023)
• 84% of consumers got frustrated by user experience issues when booking travel through their loyalty program (iSeatz, 2023)
• 40% of businesses are working to optimize their corporate travel policy to decrease environmental impact (Deloitte, 2023)
• 54% of travelers plan to take more trips this year than in 2022 (Hopper, 2023)
• 63% of hotel bookings through the Hopper app in 2023 were made for same-day check-in (Hopper, 2023)
• 53.6% of travelers are taking more trips in 2023 than previous years, 32.7% are taking the same number of trips and 13.7% are taking fewer trips (Hopper, 2023)
• 45% of travelers have some level of travel flexibility because of remote work (Hopper, 2023)
• Because of work flexibility, 57% of travelers are traveling more frequently, 30% are traveling more during the school/work week, 26% are traveling for longer and 19% are working and traveling as a digital nomad (Hopper, 2023)
• 52% of travel professionals are making changes to their business due to negative customer reviews (Expedia, 2023)
• 96% of travel organizations say they offer refundable services or credits, while only 63% say they will continue providing these moving forward (Expedia, 2023)
• Only 8% of travel industry professionals say leisure travel is back to pre-pandemic levels, but 63% expect it to return in the next 2 years (Expedia, 2023)
• 46% of consumers say travel is more important to them now than it was pre-pandemic (Expedia, 2023)
• 1 in 3 consumers are planning an upcoming business trip (Expedia, 2023)
• 79% of consumers plan to take a leisure trip in the next year (Expedia, 2023)

Got Travelers of Your Own?

People everywhere are geared up to travel often, travel far, and spend their pent up money wherever they end up. We at Access Development have spend years learning everything there is to know about wholesale travel benefits and the white-label travel platforms used to increase member engagement. In fact, you can find a lot more statistics related to Customer and Member Loyalty and Engagement in this article. Contact us and learn about our private travel network for groups and organizations. From deep discounts to cash-back travel rewards of up to 50% on hotel bookings, car rentals, theme park tickets and more, Access has the platform you need to offer your travelers unparalleled value everywhere they want to go.