Gitnux/Report 2026

Hospitality and Leisure Industry Statistics

312Statistics
105Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
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Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The hospitality and leisure industry at a glance

The U.S. hospitality and leisure industry generated $1.6 trillion in total hotel-related economic output in 2024, while leisure and hospitality employment reached 16.96 million in October 2026.

$1.6T[23]
Total hotel economic output, 2024
16.96M[30]
Leisure and hospitality jobs, Oct. 2026
62.3%[43]
U.S. hotel occupancy, 2025
$160.54[43]
U.S. hotel ADR, 2025
Market size
The U.S. hotel industry generated $352.3 billion in direct hotel operating sales in 2024. Including hotel guest spending, indirect effects and induced effects, the total economic impact reached $1.6 trillion in output.[23]
Forecast & CAGR
A broad hospitality-and-leisure CAGR was not identified from a reliable primary source. For U.S. hotels, 2026 RevPAR growth was forecast at approximately 0.5%, with demand expected to rise 0.5% and average daily rate about 0.9%.[95]
Market share & regions
In 2025, New York City led the 25 largest U.S. hotel markets in occupancy at 84.1%, ADR at $333.71 and RevPAR at $280.71. Houston recorded the sharpest occupancy decline among those markets, falling 8.6% to 58.9%.[43]
Segmentation
The U.S. leisure and hospitality sector consists primarily of accommodation and food services, plus arts, entertainment and recreation. In October 2026, accommodation and food services accounted for 14.26 million jobs and arts, entertainment and recreation accounted for about 2.70 million jobs, based on the BLS industry series.[30]
Key players & concentration
Large hotel companies are expanding mainly through franchising, conversions and asset-light brand platforms rather than direct ownership. Publicly available industry data reviewed did not provide a reliable current market-share or concentration ratio for the full hospitality and leisure industry.[96]
Pricing
U.S. hotels recorded an average daily rate of $160.54 in 2025, up 0.9% year over year, while RevPAR was $100.02, down 0.3%. Pricing growth therefore outpaced occupancy performance but remained modest.[43]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Hotel demand and pricing normalized in 2025: occupancy fell 1.2% and RevPAR declined 0.3%, the first full-year declines in those measures since 2020. Industry outlooks cite event-driven demand, elevated operating costs, slower economic growth and continued pressure on margins as key conditions for 2026.[43][95]
Consumer behavior & competition
U.S. consumer units spent an average of $4,142 on food away from home in 2025, up 5.0% from 2024. In 2024, average food-away-from-home spending was $3,945, while a cited 2025 survey found that 37% of consumers were dining out less frequently, reflecting price sensitivity.[30]
Regulation
The Federal Trade Commission’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees requires short-term lodging sellers to disclose the total price, including mandatory fees, when showing or advertising a price. The rule covers hotels and vacation rentals marketed to U.S. consumers.[97]
Latest news
The latest available industry indicators show a subdued U.S. hotel market: 2025 occupancy was 62.3%, ADR was $160.54 and RevPAR was $100.02. By October 2026, leisure and hospitality employment stood at 16.964 million, while the sector recorded 1.013 million hires in September 2026.[43][30]
report visual · Breakdown

Estimated revenue of employer firms in Accommodation and Food Services, by subsector (United States)

Food Services and Drinking Places holds the largest share at $828.7B.

$243.1B
Accommodation
$828.7B
Food Services and Drinking Places
source-verifiedcensus.gov

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Hospitality And Leisure Industry

The leading companies in the hospitality and leisure industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Royal Caribbean Group leads Gitnux's 2026 hospitality and leisure ranking with an Overall score of 9.5, with 9.4 million vacations delivered in 2025 across cruise brands and destinations. Hilton Worldwide Holdings is the highest-ranked hotel management and franchising at 9.3, with 520,000-room development pipeline reached in 2025.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in cruise operations

    Royal Caribbean Group

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.5 · Cruise operations

    Why we picked it: Its global cruise-vacation throughput is measured at 9.4 million vacations in 2025, tied to destinations.

    See in ranking ↓Visit royalcaribbeangroup.com ↗

  2. Leader in hotel management

    Hilton Worldwide Holdings

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.3 · Hotel management

    Why we picked it: Its hotel franchising and management model shows planned supply at 520,000 rooms in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit hilton.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Carnival Corporation

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Cruise operations

    Why we picked it: Its cruise operations scale around fleet deployment, serving about 13.5 million guests in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit carnivalcorp.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Pick 2 is the highest-ranked company in the top 5 that adds a new segment; no further segment places in the top 5, so pick 3 follows rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the hospitality and leisure industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Royal Caribbean Group

Cruise operations · US

9.5
2

Hilton Worldwide Holdings

Hotel management · US

9.3
3

Carnival Corporation

Cruise operations · US

8.9
4

InterContinental Hotels Group

Hotel management · GB

8.8
5

Marriott International

Hotel management · US

8.8
6

Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Global hotels, resorts and all-inclusive hospitality · US

8.5
7

MGM Resorts International

Hotels, casinos, resorts and entertainment · US

8.1
8

Accor

Global hotels, resorts and hospitality experiences · FR

8.0
9

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Global economy and midscale hotel franchising · US

8.0
10

Choice Hotels International

Global hotel franchising and extended stay · US

7.7

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the hospitality and leisure industry. In Hospitality And Leisure Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hospitality-and-leisure-industry-statistics/#top-companies

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Technology signals center on integration gaps in payments and a fast rise of AI use-cases, with 78% citing fragmented payment systems in 2025.

AI in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 78% of American hospitality merchants said fragmented online and on-site payment systems made hotel operations and reconciliation difficult in 2025.[1]
  • 45% of travel-industry venture-capital funding went to AI-enabled travel startups in the first half of 2025.[2]
  • 85% of surveyed GCC tourism and hospitality leaders reported measurable cost savings and efficiency gains from AI in 2025.[3]
  • 33% of surveyed travel executives said AI improved customer personalization through 2025.[2]
  • 26% of surveyed travel executives said AI reduced operating costs over the previous three years through 2025.[2]
  • 63% of American hospitality businesses said AI search tools would reshape the industry in 2025 and beyond.[1]

Automation in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 25% of U.S. restaurants used self-order or self-pay tablets and kiosks in 2024.[4]
  • 35% of hospitality organizations identified insufficient enterprise automation as a top challenge in 2023.[5]
  • 70% of restaurant operators had automated payroll by 2024.[6]
  • 37% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in automated labor-management, recruitment or scheduling systems in 2024.[4]
  • 39% of hospitality organizations had budgeted for or already invested in automating routine frontline tasks in 2023.[5]
  • 65% of restaurant operators had automated inventory management by 2024.[6]

Digital Transformation in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • 89% of UK fitness and leisure operators said digital helped increase customer retention in 2023.[7]
  • 55% of fitness and leisure operators in the UK reported a digital maturity score in 2023, compared with 52% across the wider sport and physical-activity sector.[7]
  • 77% of UK fitness and leisure operators said their digital experiences played an important role for customers in 2023.[7]
  • 93% of UK fitness and leisure operators said digital helped increase participation in 2023.[7]
  • 53% of UK fitness and leisure operators said digital accounted for at least half of their revenue in 2023.[7]
  • 88% of UK fitness and leisure operators reported at least some operational savings through digital use in 2023.[7]

Technology Adoption in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • 92% of UK gym operators used gym-management software in 2025.[8]
  • 58% of integrative-health operators were actively investing in or evaluating technology in 2025.[9]
  • 5% of fitness and wellness businesses reported cutting technology spending in 2025.[9]
  • 83% of UK gym operators had a member app in 2025.[8]
  • 70% of UK gym operators offered online joining in 2025.[8]
  • 54% of fitness and wellness operators were investing in or evaluating new technology in 2025, comprising 18% actively investing and 36% reviewing their technology stack.[9]

Cloud Computing in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across UK sport, fitness and leisure organisations, 68% used cloud-based leisure-management systems in 2024.[10]
  • Among U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation companies using cloud-based computing, 36.0% cited upgrading outdated processes or methods as a motivation in 2018.[11]
  • Among U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation companies using cloud-based computing, 12.8% cited automating tasks performed by labor as a motivation in 2018.[11]
  • Among U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation companies using cloud-based computing, 47.0% cited improving process or method quality and reliability as a motivation in 2018.[11]
  • Across UK sport, fitness and leisure organisations, 100% were considering updates or changes to their cloud-based leisure-management systems within the next 12 months in 2024.[10]
  • Among U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation companies using cloud-based computing, 27.1% cited another reason for adoption in 2018.[11]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Analytics demand focuses on business-intelligence access for travel and guest attributes; 34% of hospitality businesses wanted more guest-nationality intelligence in 2024.

Business intelligence in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 34% of hospitality businesses wanted more business-intelligence information on corporate and group travel in 2024.[12]
  • 30% of hospitality businesses wanted more business-intelligence information on guests’ nationality and country of origin in 2024.[12]
  • 35% of hotel chief financial officers used business-intelligence data tools regularly in 2024.[12]
  • 21% of hotel group-travel teams used business intelligence regularly in 2024.[12]
  • 36% of hotel marketing teams used business-intelligence data tools regularly in 2024.[12]
  • 34% of hospitality businesses wanted more business-intelligence information on Google search trends in 2024.[12]

Data analytics in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 34% of hotel distribution professionals reviewed reports at least daily in 2025.[13]
  • 20% of independent hotels invested in analytics tools in the 2024 State of Distribution study.[13]
  • 34% of restaurant operators used artificial intelligence for inventory management in the 2024 SevenRooms restaurant survey.[14]
  • 78% of luxury and five-star hospitality organizations used at least one dedicated HR-analytics platform in a 2026 study.[15]
  • 35% of restaurant operators used artificial intelligence for processing reservations in the 2024 SevenRooms restaurant survey.[14]
  • 12% of hotels used website analytics tools such as Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics in the 2025 State of Distribution survey.[13]

Data Quality in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • 27% of Australian sports organisations identified data quality and completeness as their biggest membership-data challenge in 2021.[16]
  • 7% of Australian sports organisations ranked distrust in their data among their top three data challenges in 2021.[16]
  • 27% of FIFA-sample football organisations disagreed or strongly disagreed that international sports-data metrics were clear and consistent in the study published in 2024.[17]
  • 39% of Australian sports organisations identified ticketing-data quality as a challenge in 2021.[16]
  • 65% of Australian sports organisations said improving the quality of ticketing data was an objective in 2021.[16]

Data Governance in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • 31% of football national-federation respondents reported standardized data management with integrated sources and defined procedures in the study published in 2024.[17]
  • 41% of Irish sports clubs reported having no data-protection policies in 2024, based on a survey of more than 100 clubs.[18]
  • 56% of Irish sports clubs lacked a data-retention schedule in 2024, based on a survey of more than 100 clubs across four sports.[18]
  • 9% of Irish sports clubs said they had conducted a data-protection impact assessment in 2024, based on a survey of more than 100 clubs.[18]
  • 41% of FIFA-sample football organisations said their data-analysis strategy was consistent across all business units in the study published in 2024.[17]
  • 53% of professional-club respondents reported standardized data management with integrated sources and defined procedures in the study published in 2024.[17]

KPIs in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 9.2% was the year-over-year increase in total revenue per available room in the HotelData H1 2026 sample.[19]
  • 4.5% was the year-over-year increase in U.S. hotel revenue per available room in 2025.[20]
  • 1.1 percentage points was the improvement in hotel occupancy in the HotelData H1 2026 sample.[19]
  • 99% of restaurant operators agreed that strong financial management was critical in the 2025 U.S. restaurant business report.[21]
  • 21% of restaurant operators said food-cost data were easy to access in 2025.[21]
  • Less than 50% of restaurant operators had the financial data needed to make informed business decisions in 2025.[21]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Growth comes through pipeline build and deals: Hilton cited a 971-property scale in Europe, Middle East and Africa at December 31, 2024.

Growth in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 498,600 rooms were in Hilton’s development pipeline at the end of 2024.[22]
  • $1,681.1 billion was the total U.S. hotel industry output in 2024, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association.[23]
  • 9.2 million jobs were supported by the U.S. hotel industry in 2024.[23]
  • 325,000 rooms across 2,210 hotels were in IHG’s global pipeline at the end of 2024, up 10% year over year.[24]
  • 6.2% was IHG’s gross system growth in 2024, while net system growth was 4.3%.[24]
  • 973 hotels and approximately 98,400 rooms opened in Hilton’s system in 2024.[22]

Differentiation in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • More than 500 luxury properties were in Hilton’s global portfolio in 2024.[25]
  • 67% of U.S. consumers with a favorite accommodation or entertainment brand said the brand helped define their identity in 2024.[26]
  • 55% of U.S. consumers with a favorite accommodation or entertainment brand said they valued personalization to meet their needs in 2024.[26]
  • 73% of U.S. consumers with a favorite accommodation or entertainment brand said the brand helped them meet their goals in 2024.[26]
  • 700 hotels was Hilton’s planned lifestyle-portfolio target after announcing plans to double that segment.[25]
  • 24 brands were in Hilton’s portfolio at the end of 2024, spanning luxury, lifestyle, full-service, focused-service and all-suites lodging.[25]

Mergers and acquisitions in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • $2.6 billion was the value of Hyatt’s acquisition of Playa Hotels & Resorts referenced in KPMG’s 2025 hospitality and leisure M&A review.[27]
  • $150 million was the upfront value of Hyatt’s announced 2024 acquisition of Standard International, with up to $185 million in additional consideration.[28]
  • 774 hospitality and leisure deals worth $49.2 billion were recorded in 2025, with deal value up 78.5% from 2024.[27]
  • 30% was the reported decline in U.S. hospitality transaction volume in 2024 compared with the 2019 high.[29]
  • Seven U.S. hospitality transactions exceeded $300 million in the second half of 2024, according to JLL Hotels research.[29]
  • $2.0 billion was the value of KSL Capital and Tortuga Resorts’ 2025 acquisition of Playa Resorts’ real-estate portfolio.[27]

Strategic partnerships in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 10,200 rooms from the NOVUM agreement opened in IHG’s EMEAA region in 2024.[24]
  • 70 hotels representing 24,300 rooms were covered by IHG’s strategic alliance with Iberostar Beachfront Resorts.[24]
  • Six iconic natural settings were included in Hilton’s 2024 AutoCamp partnership across the American West, Northeast and South.[22]
  • 409 strategic-partner hotels and approximately 19,400 strategic-partner rooms were added net to Hilton’s system in 2024.[22]
  • 3% was the potential increase in IHG’s global system size from the Iberostar strategic alliance.[24]
  • 2,000 Iberostar rooms were signed into IHG’s system in 2024 through the strategic alliance.[24]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce conditions remain a central constraint, with 65% of surveyed U.S. hotels reporting staffing shortages at the end of 2024.

Hiring in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 901,000 monthly job openings averaged across the U.S. restaurants and accommodations sector in 2024.[4]
  • 3.2 million non-restaurant foodservice jobs were recorded in the United States in 2024.[4]
  • 65% of surveyed U.S. hotels reported staffing shortages at the end of 2024.[23]
  • 28,600 accommodation jobs were added in the United States during 2024.[30]
  • 59% of U.S. restaurant operators reported hard-to-fill openings in 2024.[4]

Employee retention in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 2% of surveyed hotels said less than 20% of hires made in 2023 were still employed with them.[31]
  • 23% of surveyed hotels said 40% to 60% of hires made in 2023 were still employed with them.[31]
  • 62% of surveyed hotels said retention had become more challenging than the previous year in 2024.[31]
  • 20% of surveyed hotels said 60% to 80% of hires made in 2023 were still employed with them.[31]
  • 1% of surveyed hotels said all hires made in 2023 were still employed with them.[31]

Remote Work in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across European sport organisations, 29.2% had heard of remote working but had not used it in 2025.[32]
  • Across European sport organisations, 24.4% had neither used nor heard of remote working in 2025.[32]
  • In U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation, 22.1% of employees worked fully remotely in November 2024.[33]
  • Across European sport organisations, 46.4% reported using remote working in 2025.[32]

Hybrid Work in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 54% worked hybrid in August 2026.[34]
  • Across sports industry professionals, 46% were still working from the office five days a week in 2025.[35]
  • Across sports industry professionals, 70% preferred hybrid working in 2025.[35]
  • In U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation, 30.0% of employees worked in hybrid arrangements in November 2024.[33]

Upskilling in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 52% of New Zealand hospitality and tourism employees agreed they had formal employer training for job skills or qualifications in 2024.[36]
  • 74% of New Zealand hospitality and tourism employees agreed they had informal on-the-job training in 2024.[36]
  • 64.8% of New Zealand hospitality and tourism employees felt they were developing substantially as people at work in 2024.[36]
  • 60% of New Zealand hospitality and tourism employees said they would like more training in 2024.[36]
  • 68.4% of New Zealand hospitality and tourism employees aged 25 to 35 wanted more training and development in 2024.[36]

Employee Engagement in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • Globally, 16% of employees were actively disengaged in 2025.[34]
  • Globally, 64% of employees were not engaged in 2025.[34]
  • Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 30% of exclusively remote workers were engaged in 2025.[34]
  • Among professional sports teams, 73% of employees were engaged between July 2025 and June 2026.[37]
  • Globally, 20% of employees were engaged in 2025.[34]

DEI in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • One Black CEO or president was recorded for every 102 hotel-company executives at that level in 2025.[38]
  • One Black C-suite leader was recorded for every 68 hotel-company executives in 2025.[38]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Direct capture and retention capacity appear as pressure points; 21% of hotel database records had OTA-masked email addresses in 2024.

Customer experience in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 76% of global hotel customers said they would purchase more from the hotel in 2025, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.[39]
  • 77% of guests in branded hotels operated by major third-party management companies chose to dine in the hotel in 2025, up from 73% in 2024.[40]
  • 79% of global hotel customers reported trust in 2025, according to Qualtrics XM Institute’s consumer study covering 23 countries.[39]
  • 703 points out of 1,000 was Columbia Sussex’s overall guest-satisfaction score in the 2025 North America study.[40]
  • 78% of global hotel customers said they would recommend their hotel in 2025, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.[39]

Customer retention in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 21% of global hotel database records contained an OTA-masked email address in 2024, limiting direct retention opportunities.[41]
  • Hotels generated $9.85 in revenue for every correctly captured email address in 2024, according to Revinate’s global hotel data.[41]
  • Hotels generated $8 in revenue for every correctly captured guest phone number in 2024, according to Revinate’s global hotel data.[41]
  • 52.8% was the average contribution of loyalty-program members to hotel occupancy in 2024, according to CBRE.[42]
  • 21 hotel loyalty-program launches and partnerships occurred in 2024, according to CBRE’s industry analysis.[42]

Customer acquisition in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • $519 was the average value of a hotel booking generated through hotel websites in 2024, based on more than 125 million SiteMinder reservations.[43]
  • 12.3% of European overnight stays were generated through hotel direct online contact in 2023, up from 7.4% in 2013.[44]
  • Hotel websites either held or improved their position among major hotel revenue sources in every destination tracked by SiteMinder in 2024.[43]
  • OTA-acquired hotel customers booked 11.8% more often than brand-acquired customers in a U.S. hotel-company study.[45]
  • More than 44,500 hotels used SiteMinder’s platform to secure over 125 million bookings in 2024, according to the company’s booking-trends dataset.[43]

Customer loyalty in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 65% of consumers said better discounts would increase their engagement with hospitality loyalty programs in 2024.[46]
  • 63% of U.S. consumers planned to take one to four more trips in 2024 than in 2023, according to iSeatz’s hospitality loyalty report.[46]
  • 60% was the median share of wallet captured by preferred airline brands, compared with 50% for preferred lodging brands.[46]
  • 60% was the median share of wallet captured by preferred cruise brands, compared with 50% for preferred lodging brands.[46]
  • 675 million hotel loyalty-program members were included in CBRE’s 2024 analysis of hotel loyalty performance.[42]

Lead generation in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • $1,249 was the average booking value generated by global hotel newsletters in 2025, according to Revinate.[41]
  • 33.6% was the global open rate for hotel newsletters in 2025, according to Revinate’s hospitality benchmark.[41]
  • 42% of answered cruise-line calls were identified as leads in Invoca’s 2026 travel benchmark.[47]
  • 46% of cruise-line leads converted on the call in Invoca’s 2026 travel benchmark.[47]
  • 6.5% or more was the conversion rate for cold-lead hotel emails in North America in 2025, according to Revinate.[41]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand and channels shift toward measurable engagement: 35.6% was the global average open rate for hospitality email campaigns in 2024.

Marketing in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 28.9% of U.S. travelers rated Facebook as an effective way to reach them in 2024.[48]
  • 33.6% of U.S. travelers rated email as an effective way to reach them in 2024.[48]
  • 87% of U.S. travelers were excited about leisure travel during the next 12 months in 2024.[48]
  • 35.8% was the average hospitality email open rate in North America in 2024.[41]
  • 35.6% was the global average open rate for hospitality email campaigns in 2024.[41]

Digital marketing in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 41% higher click-through rates were reported for personalized hotel emails than for generic messages in 2024.[49]
  • 50% of hotels did not follow up after collecting a prospective guest’s email information in 2024.[49]
  • 36.2% was the travel industry’s average email open rate in January 2024.[49]
  • 95% of global hotels received a subpar email-marketing score in the 2024 digital-maturity review.[49]
  • 40% of hotels offered visitors an option to subscribe to an offer or newsletter in 2024.[49]

Branding in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 21% was the increase in the combined brand value of the world’s top 50 hotel brands in 2026.[50]
  • $476 million was Delta Hotels & Resorts’ brand value in 2026.[50]
  • $12.1 billion was Booking.com’s brand value in the leisure and tourism sector in 2026.[50]
  • $58.8 billion was the combined brand value of the world’s top 50 hotel brands in 2025.[50]
  • 95.4 out of 100 was Vinpearl’s Brand Strength Index score in 2026.[50]

Social media in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 55% of travelers who followed travel service providers valued special offers and promotions on social media in 2024.[51]
  • 48% of travelers who followed travel service providers valued authentic images posted by other travelers in 2024.[51]
  • 66% of Gen Z active leisure travelers were influenced by social media when selecting a vacation in 2024.[51]
  • 47.2% of destination marketing organizations ranked Facebook or Meta as their most effective social platform in 2024.[52]
  • 127 daily engagements were received on average by travel and hospitality brands in 2024.[53]

Influencer Marketing in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • Instagram accounted for 17.8 million sports and fitness influencer posts globally in 2023, with a 2.31% average engagement rate.[53]
  • TikTok sports and fitness influencer posts generated a 2.51% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[53]
  • Sports and fitness represented 18.7% of Instagram influencer estimated media value in Spain in 2024, the largest sector share.[54]
  • Gymshark generated more than 16,000 influencer posts globally in 2023, with a 6.12% engagement rate.[53]
  • 22.6 million influencer posts about sports and fitness were published globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s industry benchmark.[53]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational execution shows both guest experience and cost stress, with 14% of U.S. leisure lodging guests complaining about their stay in 2025.

Process optimization in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 35% of global hotel chains had a structured innovation-management process in 2023.[55]
  • 28% of global hotel chains planned to implement real-time, on-demand housekeeping in 2023.[55]
  • 14% of global hotel chains used real-time, on-demand housekeeping in 2023.[55]
  • 47% of U.S. quick-service restaurant operators increased food-waste tracking because of higher food costs in 2023.[4]
  • 52% of U.S. fast-casual restaurant operators shopped around for other suppliers because of higher food costs in 2023.[4]

Operational efficiency in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 62% of lodging-technology-study respondents said employee-facing technologies empowered hospitality employees in 2024.[56]
  • U.S. restaurant productivity increased 3.3% annually between 2019 and 2024 while hours worked declined 0.4% annually.[30]
  • U.S. accommodation labor productivity was unchanged from 2023 to 2024.[57]
  • 12,494.4 thousand people were employed in U.S. food services and drinking places in 2024.[57]
  • Compensation dollars at the typical U.S. hotel were 22.1% above 2019 levels in 2024.[58]

Quality management in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 677 was the average U.S. hotel satisfaction score when guests did not experience a problem during their stay in 2025.[40]
  • 699 was the average U.S. hotel satisfaction score among guests with the hotel brand’s mobile app in 2025.[40]
  • 64 was the 2025 ACSI satisfaction score for U.S. leisure lodging guests who complained.[59]
  • 14% of U.S. leisure lodging guests complained about their stay in 2025.[59]
  • 60% of hotel guests said sustainability commitments made them more likely to choose a hotel in 2025.[23]

Supply chain in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 83% of U.S. restaurant operators said energy or utility costs were a significant challenge in 2025.[4]
  • Hotel food-waste-reduction programs achieved reductions of up to 38% in 12 weeks in the United States.[23]
  • 51% of U.S. limited-service restaurant operators sought alternative suppliers in response to higher costs in 2025.[60]
  • 95% of U.S. restaurant operators said food costs were a significant challenge in 2025.[4]
  • 96% of U.S. restaurant operators said labor costs were a significant challenge in 2025.[4]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU enterprises sourcing internationally, 34.1% cited lower labour costs as a motivation during 2021–2023, an economy-wide outsourcing benchmark.[61]
  • Across EU enterprises sourcing internationally, 47.4% moved administrative and management functions abroad during 2021–2023, an economy-wide offshoring benchmark.[61]
  • Across EU enterprises sourcing internationally, 27.8% cited lower non-labour costs as a motivation during 2021–2023, an economy-wide outsourcing benchmark.[61]
  • Across EU enterprises sourcing internationally, 17.1% moved business functions to the United Kingdom during 2021–2023, an economy-wide offshoring benchmark.[61]
  • Across EU enterprises sourcing internationally, 18.6% moved business functions to India during 2021–2023, an economy-wide offshoring benchmark.[61]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing is modest while demand performance softens, with U.S. RevPAR at $100.02 in 2025 and occupancy at 62.3%.

Pricing strategy in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • $99.94 was U.S. hotel revenue per available room in 2024, up 1.8% from 2023.[58]
  • 59.1% was the 2024 hotel occupancy rate in Detroit, among the lowest U.S. market readings reported by CoStar.[58]
  • 47% of limited-service restaurant customers said dining experience was more important than meal price in 2025.[4]
  • 67% of U.S. adults said in 2025 that restaurant price increases were acceptable when used to cover higher operating costs.[4]
  • 84.3% was New York City hotel occupancy in 2024, following a 3.3% year-over-year increase.[58]

Cost reduction in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 5.1% was the 2024 increase in U.S. hotel information and telecommunications expenses.[62]
  • 5.0% was the 2024 increase in U.S. hotel maintenance-department costs.[62]
  • 2.0% was the increase in U.S. hotel utility costs in 2024, below the 2.3% growth in total hotel revenue.[62]
  • 4.4% was the 2024 increase in U.S. hotel credit-card commission expenses.[62]
  • 9.4% was the 2024 increase in hotel food-and-beverage operating-supply costs in CBRE’s U.S. sample.[62]

Profitability in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 33.8% was the 2023 U.S. hotel labor-cost ratio reported by LW Hospitality Advisors.[63]
  • 27.2% was the 2023 EBITDA margin for hotels outside the U.S. top 25 markets.[63]
  • $52 was the forecast U.S. hotel GOP per available room for 2024 in LW Hospitality Advisors’ report.[63]
  • $73.60 was U.S. hotel gross operating profit per available room in 2024, up 3.2% from 2023.[58]
  • 36.3% was the 2023 gross operating profit margin for hotels outside the U.S. top 25 markets.[63]

Financial planning in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • $805 billion in U.S. hotel guest spending was projected for 2026, up 1.7% from 2025.[23]
  • 63.38% was the projected U.S. hotel occupancy rate for 2025, according to Oxford Economics and STR.[23]
  • More than 30,000 U.S. hotel jobs were projected to be added in 2026, bringing direct hotel employment to approximately 2.2 million.[23]
  • 4.3% was the projected 2026 increase in U.S. restaurant and foodservice sales after Census benchmark revisions.[60]
  • $1.55 trillion was the National Restaurant Association’s original forecast for U.S. restaurant and foodservice sales in 2026 before Census revisions.[60]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product change is visible through brand launches and asset-led improvements; 3 new brands were added to Marriott’s portfolio in 2025.

Product development in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 3 new brands were added to Marriott’s portfolio in 2025 through the citizenM acquisition and the launches of Series by Marriott and Outdoor Collection by Marriott.[64]
  • 70% of surveyed hotel groups implemented some management innovation, but only 12% rated its development satisfactory or high-level in 2024.[65]
  • 86% of travelers said they value experiences over material gifts in Hilton’s 2026 trends research, supporting experience-led hospitality product development.[25]
  • 37 Series by Marriott hotels opened in India in 2025, with the brand also expanding into the United States and Canada.[66]
  • 19 brands was Hilton’s total regional brand count after introducing Tempo by Hilton to Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2025.[25]

Product lifecycle in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 15–20 years is the typical interval for a thorough renovation of a U.S. select-service hotel, according to Lodging Econometrics.[67]
  • 139,200 rooms were added to Hilton’s development pipeline during 2025, representing 1,073 additional hotels.[22]
  • 7–14 years is a typical hotel brand product-improvement-plan cycle, although strong guest scores can extend it to roughly 8–8.5 years.[68]
  • 1,648 Marriott properties had nearly 265,000 rooms under construction at the end of 2025, including pending conversions.[66]
  • Nearly half of Hilton’s pipeline rooms were under construction at December 31, 2025, while more than half were outside the United States.[22]

After-sales in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 11.9 million hotel reviews and 45.7 million guest mentions formed Shiji’s Q3 2026 global guest-experience benchmark.[43]
  • 87.0% was Shiji’s Q3 2026 Global Review Index score for hotels worldwide, up 0.2 percentage points year over year.[43]
  • 72 was the 2026 ACSI satisfaction score for business lodging guests who complained, compared with 62 for leisure guests who complained.[59]
  • 37% of U.S. hotel guests named friendly staff as a top positive-experience driver in 2025, while 46% cited staff interactions as a reason to leave a positive review.[23]
  • 69.8% of guest mentions were positive in Shiji’s Q3 2026 global benchmark, down from 70.5% a year earlier.[43]

Value proposition in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 37.2% of U.S. hotel guests selected ease of check-in as an important hospitality experience driver in Alchemer’s 2026 benchmark.[69]
  • 13% of consumers ranked the ability to obtain a full refund as a top hotel-booking value in Expedia’s 2025 Traveler Value Index.[70]
  • 78% of U.S. hotel visitors said free enhancements such as breakfast and bottled water were important to them in AHLA’s 2026 Hotel Beverage Study.[23]
  • 61% of U.S. hotel visitors already belonged to a guest loyalty scheme in 2026, while 17% were potential joiners and 12% had lapsed memberships.[23]
  • 41.7% of U.S. hotel guests selected bed and room comfort as an important experience driver in Alchemer’s 2026 benchmark.[69]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability expectations show up in selection behavior, with 60% of hotel guests saying commitments made them more likely to choose a hotel in 2025.

Sustainability in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 85% of travelers considered sustainable travel important in 2025, according to research cited by Accor’s hospitality sustainability page.[71]
  • 450 kilowatt-hours of electricity per square metre per year was the reported hotel-energy-use figure in the UK hospitality sector.[72]
  • 36.3% was Hilton managed hotels’ reduction in water-intensity from the 2008 baseline in 2024, globally.[73]
  • 48.1% was the reduction in carbon-emissions intensity at Hilton managed hotels from the 2008 baseline in 2024, globally.[73]
  • 28% of U.S. hotels offered locally organized tours and activities in 2024.[74]

ESG in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 179,087 megalitres was Hilton’s total water withdrawal across operated and franchised hotels in 2024.[73]
  • 14,290 megalitres was Hilton managed hotels’ water consumption in 2024.[73]
  • 492 litres per square metre was Hilton’s global water-consumption intensity in 2024.[73]
  • 100% of Hilton managed hotels’ general managers attested that all hotel team members completed mandatory anti-trafficking training in 2024.[73]
  • 13.4% was the year-on-year reduction in Hilton managed hotels’ water-consumption intensity in 2024.[73]

Ethics in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • $500,000 was committed by Hilton to the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation’s No Room For Trafficking initiative.[73]
  • 58% of Accor’s new hotel projects were conversion projects in 2024, reducing the need for entirely new construction.[75]
  • 4,304 Hilton team members received support from the company’s Team Member Assistance Fund in 2024.[73]
  • 1.5 million pounds of food was donated by Hilton hotels in 2024.[25]
  • 2,500 local and small businesses were supported by Hilton in 2024 through its sourcing and small-business programs.[73]

CSR in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • $70 million or more in financing was secured by Hilton’s Unlocking Doors program to support aspiring hotel owners in 2024.[73]
  • 1.6 million or more meals were distributed through Hilton community programs in 2024.[25]
  • 1.5 million pounds of food were donated by Hilton hotels in 2024 to support communities.[25]
  • 4,304 Hilton team members were supported through the Team Member Assistance Fund in 2024.[73]
  • 2,500 local and small businesses were supported by Hilton’s local-sourcing initiatives in 2024.[73]

Circular economy in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 200 washes was the estimated service life of hotel linens and textiles in the UK hospitality sector.[72]
  • 62% of UK hospitality packaging waste was recycled.[72]
  • 10 to 15 years was the estimated service life of catering equipment in the UK hospitality sector.[72]
  • 46% of UK hospitality solid waste was recycled, anaerobically digested or composted.[72]
  • 920,000 tonnes of food waste were generated annually by the UK hospitality sector.[72]

Carbon footprint in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 56% is Hilton’s 2030 target for reducing franchised-hotel carbon-emissions intensity from the 2008 baseline.[76]
  • 308 grams of food waste per hotel guest per day was the North American average in the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance analysis.[77]
  • 229 grams of food waste per hotel guest per day was the African average in the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance analysis.[77]
  • 45% was Hilton’s reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions per square metre from 2008 to 2023 across owned, leased and managed properties.[76]
  • 553 grams of food waste per hotel guest per day was the South American average in the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance analysis.[77]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Expansion continues via international footprints, including Hilton’s 971 properties and 162,350 rooms in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at December 31, 2024.

Globalization in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • Hilton operated 971 properties and 162,350 rooms in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at December 31, 2024.[25]
  • 973 Hilton hotels were added in 2024, increasing the company’s portfolio by nearly 100,000 rooms.[25]
  • 492,000 Hilton team members worked globally in 2024.[73]
  • 1,268,206 Hilton system rooms were operating worldwide at December 31, 2024.[25]
  • Hilton achieved 7.3% net unit growth in 2024.[25]

Cultural adaptation in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 84% of surveyed Muslim travelers considered Ramadan Iftar and Suhoor meals in hotels important, very important or extremely important.[90]
  • 89% of surveyed Muslim travelers considered bidet sprayers in hotel toilets important, very important or extremely important.[90]
  • 85% of surveyed Muslim travelers considered the absence of alcohol in their hotel room important, very important or extremely important.[90]
  • 80% of surveyed Muslim travelers considered no gambling at a hotel facility important, very important or extremely important.[90]
  • 76% of surveyed Muslim travelers considered separated recreational facilities important, very important or extremely important.[90]

Supplier management in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 76.6% of surveyed hotels had purchasing policies that preferred local suppliers in 2024.[91]
  • Approximately half of surveyed hotels had sustainability requirements integrated into procurement processes in 2024.[92]
  • 82.2% of surveyed resort hotels preferred local suppliers in their purchasing policies in 2024.[91]
  • 67.3% of surveyed hotels worked with suppliers to minimize waste in 2024.[92]
  • 68.0% of surveyed convention or conference hotels preferred local suppliers in their purchasing policies in 2024.[91]

Stakeholder management in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • Three in five surveyed hospitality and restaurant employers considered their workforce highly engaged in 2024.[93]
  • 64% of surveyed hospitality and restaurant employers had a strategy for improving employee engagement in 2024.[93]
  • 87% of surveyed hospitality and restaurant employers integrated DEI policies or practices into recruitment in 2024.[93]
  • 58% of surveyed hospitality and restaurant employers said their DEI strategy primarily aligned with organizational values in 2024.[93]
  • Hilton Honors exceeded 200 million members worldwide in 2024.[25]

Distribution channels in the hospitality and leisure industry

  • 10% of hotel bookings came through global distribution systems in the 2024 HEDNA survey.[94]
  • 35% of hotel bookings came through online travel agencies in the 2024 HEDNA survey.[94]
  • 16% of hotel bookings came through direct voice channels in the 2024 HEDNA survey.[94]
  • 12.3% of European hotel overnight stays were generated through hotel internet booking engines in 2023.[44]
  • 45.1% of European hotel overnight stays were generated in real time through online channels in 2023.[44]

Key questions about the hospitality and leisure industry

What is the size of the U.S. hospitality and leisure market in 2024?
The U.S. hospitality and leisure industry generated $1.6 trillion in total hotel-related economic output in 2024.
How fast is the U.S. hotel market expected to grow in 2026?
For U.S. hotels, 2026 RevPAR growth was forecast at approximately 0.5%, with demand expected to rise 0.5% and average daily rate about 0.9%.
Which companies lead the hospitality and leisure industry?
Royal Caribbean Group leads Gitnux's 2026 hospitality and leisure ranking with an Overall score of 9.5, with 9.4 million vacations delivered in 2025 across cruise brands and destinations. Hilton Worldwide Holdings is the highest-ranked hotel management and franchising at 9.3, with 520,000-room development pipeline reached in 2025.
What technology shift is most visible in hospitality operations and data?
Many operators report gaps and change needs: 78% of American hospitality merchants cited fragmented online and on-site payment systems in 2025, while 34% of hospitality businesses wanted more business-intelligence information on corporate and group travel in 2024.
How is the market structured for large hotel companies?
Large hotel companies expand mainly through franchising, conversions and asset-light brand platforms rather than direct ownership, and publicly available data reviewed did not provide reliable current market-share for the full hospitality and leisure industry.
What are the constraints for pricing and direct booking in the U.S. hotel market?
U.S. hotels recorded an average daily rate of $160.54 in 2025, while RevPAR was $100.02; regulation also requires short-term lodging sellers to disclose total price, including mandatory fees, when showing or advertising a price.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Hospitality And Leisure Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hospitality-and-leisure-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Hospitality And Leisure Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/hospitality-and-leisure-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Hospitality And Leisure Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hospitality-and-leisure-industry-statistics.

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