While America's love for travel is often painted as a simple pleasure, the numbers tell a different story: in 2023 alone, tourism became a $2.36 trillion economic powerhouse that directly supported 8.4 million jobs and sent 1.64 billion domestic travelers exploring from coast to coast.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, U.S. travel and tourism generated $2.36 trillion in total economic output, representing 2.97% of the national GDP.
- Travel and tourism directly contributed $1.1 trillion to U.S. GDP in 2023, supporting 8.4 million jobs nationwide.
- Visitor spending in the U.S. tourism sector reached $1.2 trillion in 2023, with domestic travelers accounting for 85% of total expenditures.
- In 2023, 79.6 million international visitors arrived in the U.S., marking a 26.5% increase from 2022.
- Canada sent 20.7 million visitors to the U.S. in 2023, accounting for 26% of all international arrivals.
- Mexico contributed 18.1 million overnight visitors to the U.S. in 2023, up 15% year-over-year.
- In 2023, 1.64 billion domestic trips were taken by Americans, averaging 4.9 trips per person.
- Domestic leisure travel accounted for 84% of all U.S. person-trips in 2023, totaling 1.38 billion trips.
- Road trips made up 78% of domestic travel in 2023, with 1.28 billion auto trips recorded.
- Millennials (aged 27-42) represented 32% of U.S. domestic travelers in 2023.
- 54% of American travelers were female in 2023 surveys.
- Households earning over $100,000 annually took 28% more trips than average in 2023.
- Air travel demand grew 9% in 2023, with 2.7 billion seats supplied domestically.
- Hotel occupancy rates averaged 63.5% nationwide in 2023, up from 59% in 2022.
- Online travel bookings surged 14% to $250 billion in U.S. in 2023.
American tourism boomed in 2023, driving massive economic impact and record visitor spending.
Demographics and Preferences
- Millennials (aged 27-42) represented 32% of U.S. domestic travelers in 2023.
- 54% of American travelers were female in 2023 surveys.
- Households earning over $100,000 annually took 28% more trips than average in 2023.
- Gen Z (18-26) preferred adventure travel, with 41% participating in 2023.
- 68% of U.S. travelers prioritized sustainable practices in 2023 bookings.
- Families with children under 18 comprised 29% of domestic leisure trips in 2023.
- Baby Boomers (59+) accounted for 24% of international outbound travel from U.S. in 2023.
- 37% of LGBTQ+ travelers visited national parks in 2023, higher than general population.
- African American travelers increased spending by 15% to $122 billion in 2023.
- Hispanic travelers numbered 27 million outbound trips in 2023, up 12%.
- Solo travel rose to 42% of trips among women aged 25-44 in 2023.
- Gen X (43-58) made 1.1 billion domestic trips in 2023.
- 51% of travelers aged 55+ sought wellness experiences in 2023.
- Urban millennials preferred city breaks, 48% in 2023 surveys.
- 42% of high-income travelers booked luxury in 2023.
- Pet-friendly travel rose to 37% of domestic trips in 2023.
- 29% of U.S. travelers were first-generation immigrants in 2023.
- Women over 50 took 15% more solo trips in 2023.
- Rural travelers grew 18%, seeking authentic experiences in 2023.
- Booking window shortened to 45 days average in 2023.
Demographics and Preferences Interpretation
American tourism in 2023 was a vibrant tapestry where high-earning millennials booked last-minute city breaks, adventurous Gen Z headed for the hills, thrifty Gen X hit the road over a billion times, wise boomers went abroad, solo women and families claimed their space, and nearly everyone, from new immigrants to LGBTQ+ travelers, spent more money while trying to be a little kinder to the planet, often with a pet in tow.
Domestic Travel
- In 2023, 1.64 billion domestic trips were taken by Americans, averaging 4.9 trips per person.
- Domestic leisure travel accounted for 84% of all U.S. person-trips in 2023, totaling 1.38 billion trips.
- Road trips made up 78% of domestic travel in 2023, with 1.28 billion auto trips recorded.
- Americans took 192 million domestic air trips in 2023, a 6.7% increase from 2022.
- Florida welcomed 140.8 million domestic visitors in 2023, leading all states.
- California saw 200 million domestic overnight visitors in 2023, generating $150 billion in spending.
- National park visits by domestic travelers reached 327 million in 2023, up 2%.
- RV travel accounted for 11.2 million trips domestically in 2023, with 62 million participants.
- Cruise departures from U.S. ports carried 17.6 million domestic passengers in 2023.
- 45% of domestic trips in 2023 were for visiting friends and relatives, totaling 738 million trips.
- Texas recorded 68 million domestic visitors in 2023.
- New York State saw 290 million domestic trips in 2023.
- Domestic business travel trips totaled 260 million in 2023.
- Beach vacations dominated domestic leisure at 35% in 2023.
- 28% of domestic trips used ride-sharing services in 2023.
- Amtrak carried 28.7 million domestic passengers in FY2023.
- Group travel accounted for 22% of domestic spending in 2023.
- 76 million Americans camped domestically in 2023.
Domestic Travel Interpretation
While America seems perpetually stuck in traffic or a security line, these numbers prove we're not arguing with our families at home but rather across the country, overwhelmingly by car, to see relatives, hug Mickey, and commune with nature—preferably on a beach.
Economic Impact
- In 2023, U.S. travel and tourism generated $2.36 trillion in total economic output, representing 2.97% of the national GDP.
- Travel and tourism directly contributed $1.1 trillion to U.S. GDP in 2023, supporting 8.4 million jobs nationwide.
- Visitor spending in the U.S. tourism sector reached $1.2 trillion in 2023, with domestic travelers accounting for 85% of total expenditures.
- The tourism industry added $236 billion in tax revenue to federal, state, and local governments in 2023.
- In 2022, tourism exports from the U.S. totaled $180.2 billion, driven primarily by international visitor spending.
- U.S. travel and tourism supported 15.3 million jobs in 2023, including indirect and induced employment effects.
- Leisure travel spending in the U.S. hit $972 billion in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 4%.
- Business travel contributed $140 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023, representing 12% of total tourism GDP.
- National parks generated $50.3 billion in economic output from 325 million visitors in 2023.
- Hotel sector tourism revenue reached $240 billion in 2023, up 10.2% from 2022.
- Domestic travel spending per capita reached $3,650 in 2023.
- Tourism labor shortage affected 40% of U.S. businesses in 2023.
- International tourism deficit narrowed to $68 billion in 2023.
- Gaming tourism generated $60 billion in Nevada alone in 2023.
- Sports tourism contributed $48 billion to U.S. economy in 2023.
- Culinary tourism spending rose 11% to $140 billion in 2023.
Economic Impact Interpretation
America's tourism industry isn't just people taking selfies; it's a $2.36 trillion economic engine that, even while complaining it can't find enough help, single-handedly funds governments, employs millions, and proves that whether we're chasing a ball, a buffet, or a blackjack table, our collective wanderlust is the nation's most reliable and fun stimulus package.
Industry Trends
- Air travel demand grew 9% in 2023, with 2.7 billion seats supplied domestically.
- Hotel occupancy rates averaged 63.5% nationwide in 2023, up from 59% in 2022.
- Online travel bookings surged 14% to $250 billion in U.S. in 2023.
- Sustainable tourism certifications increased by 22% among U.S. operators in 2023.
- Contactless payments in tourism rose to 76% of transactions in 2023.
- Adventure tourism market in U.S. grew 15.3% to $30 billion in 2023.
- Short-term rental revenue hit $23.7 billion in 2023, led by Airbnb.
- Electric vehicle rentals for tourism doubled to 150,000 units in 2023.
- OTA market share hit 60% of U.S. bookings in 2023.
- AI-powered personalization used by 55% of travelers in 2023.
- Bleisure travel (business+leisure) rose to 19% of trips in 2023.
- Ecotourism bookings increased 25% year-over-year in 2023.
- Virtual reality previews boosted bookings by 12% in 2023 tests.
- Food delivery integrations in hotels grew 30% in 2023.
- Metaverse tourism events attracted 2 million U.S. users in 2023.
- Mobile app bookings reached 72% of total in 2023.
Industry Trends Interpretation
Americans, propelled by a digital concierge and a guilty conscience, took to the skies, their phones, and eco-lodges in record numbers last year, proving we'll do almost anything for an adventure except fully unpack our suitcase.
International Visitors
- In 2023, 79.6 million international visitors arrived in the U.S., marking a 26.5% increase from 2022.
- Canada sent 20.7 million visitors to the U.S. in 2023, accounting for 26% of all international arrivals.
- Mexico contributed 18.1 million overnight visitors to the U.S. in 2023, up 15% year-over-year.
- The UK was the top European source market with 4.7 million visitors to the U.S. in 2023.
- Chinese visitors numbered 1.7 million in 2023, recovering to 67% of 2019 levels.
- International visitors spent $153 billion in the U.S. in 2023, with 41% on shopping.
- Germany sent 2.3 million tourists to the U.S. in 2023, focusing on New York and Florida.
- Japan contributed 1.9 million visitors in 2023, up 45% from 2022.
- South Korea's visitors to the U.S. reached 1.1 million in 2023, primarily for leisure.
- Brazil sent 2.2 million visitors in 2023, with spending averaging $1,800 per trip.
- In 2023, Australia sent 850,000 visitors to the U.S., up 35%.
- France contributed 2.1 million visitors in 2023, favoring cultural sites.
- India’s U.S. visitors reached 1.4 million in 2023, with business travel at 28%.
- Italy sent 1.6 million tourists in 2023, spending $12 billion total.
- Netherlands visitors totaled 1.2 million in 2023, up 20%.
- International air arrivals grew 31% to 66 million in 2023.
- Top destination for internationals was New York with 13.5 million in 2023.
- California hosted 17.2 million international visitors in 2023.
- 62% of international visitors flew into gateway airports in 2023.
- Colombia sent 1.1 million visitors in 2023, highest from South America.
International Visitors Interpretation
While America's "open for business" sign is clearly working again, with a nearly 27% surge in international guests and a robust $153 billion shopping spree, the post-pandemic guest list reveals a familiar North American reunion led by Canada and Mexico, a strong European encore, and a notable but still recovering absence from China.
Sources & References
- Reference 1WTTCwttc.orgVisit source
- Reference 2USTRAVELustravel.orgVisit source
- Reference 3TRAVELtravel.trade.govVisit source
- Reference 4NPSnps.govVisit source
- Reference 5STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 6BTSbts.govVisit source
- Reference 7VISITFLORIDAvisitflorida.comVisit source
- Reference 8INDUSTRYindustry.visitcalifornia.comVisit source
- Reference 9IRMAirma.nps.govVisit source
- Reference 10RVIArvia.orgVisit source
- Reference 11CRUISINGcruising.orgVisit source
- Reference 12BOOKINGbooking.comVisit source
- Reference 13FAMILYTRAVELfamilytravel.orgVisit source
- Reference 14AARPaarp.orgVisit source
- Reference 15MBSTRAmbstra.orgVisit source
- Reference 16PHOCUSWRIGHTphocuswright.comVisit source
- Reference 17IATAiata.orgVisit source
- Reference 18STRstr.comVisit source
- Reference 19GSTCOUNCILgstcouncil.orgVisit source
- Reference 20EMARKETERemarketer.comVisit source
- Reference 21GRANDVIEWRESEARCHgrandviewresearch.comVisit source
- Reference 22AIRBNBairbnb.comVisit source
- Reference 23DELOITTEwww2.deloitte.comVisit source
- Reference 24HOSPITALITYINSIGHTShospitalityinsights.ehl.eduVisit source
- Reference 25BEAbea.govVisit source
- Reference 26LVCVAlvcva.comVisit source
- Reference 27SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNALsportsbusinessjournal.comVisit source
- Reference 28NYCVISITnycvisit.comVisit source
- Reference 29GOVgov.texas.govVisit source
- Reference 30ESDesd.ny.govVisit source
- Reference 31MEDIAmedia.amtrak.comVisit source
- Reference 32AMERICANEXPRESSamericanexpress.comVisit source
- Reference 33KAMPGROUNDS-OF-AMERICAkampgrounds-of-america.comVisit source
- Reference 34GLOBALWELLNESSINSTITUTEglobalwellnessinstitute.orgVisit source
- Reference 35MASTERCARDmastercard.comVisit source
- Reference 36MCKINSEYmckinsey.comVisit source
- Reference 37TRIPADVISORtripadvisor.comVisit source
- Reference 38NEWAMERICANECONOMYnewamericaneconomy.orgVisit source
- Reference 39RURALTRAVELruraltravel.orgVisit source
- Reference 40EXPEDIAexpedia.comVisit source
- Reference 41HOSPITALITYTECHhospitalitytech.comVisit source
- Reference 42HOSPITALITYNEThospitalitynet.orgVisit source
- Reference 43ROBLOXroblox.comVisit source