Hotel and travel demand is being shaped by a mix of pressure and progress. U.S. transportation costs climbed 3.4% in 2023 while April 2024 average hourly earnings in leisure and hospitality reached $18.38, and that mismatch shows up again in staffing shortages and booking channel shifts. From direct booking’s 41% share to OTAs taking 55% of global online room bookings, the dataset reveals how travelers are changing where and how they book.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, hotels and motels in the U.S. generated about $105.6 billion in total sales and receipts (NAICS 721).
- In 2023, 63% of U.S. hotel employees reported staffing shortages as a top operational challenge (AHLA staffing survey).
- In May 2024, the U.S. hotel & motel employment index stood at 108.3 (BLS/ CES).
- In 2023, the U.S. transportation and warehousing consumer price index increased 3.4% (BLS CPI).
- U.S. average hourly earnings for leisure and hospitality were $18.38 in April 2024 (BLS).
- In 2023, U.S. airline industry passenger revenue was $250.7 billion (U.S. Department of Transportation).
- Hotel direct booking accounted for 41% of bookings in 2023 (Amadeus 2024 hospitality distribution report).
- In 2023, online travel agencies (OTAs) captured 55% of global hotel online room bookings (Phocuswright).
- 67% of travelers worldwide say sustainable practices make them more likely to book (Booking.com Sustainability Survey 2023).
- The World Bank estimates global tourism account for about 7% of global exports in 2023 (World Bank tourism overview).
- In 2024, the global hotel construction pipeline included about 1.4 million rooms (JLL hotel development pipeline report).
- In 2023, hotels using property management systems (PMS) reported 23% lower front-desk labor time per check-in (Amadeus PMS efficiency study).
- In 2023, the average hotel room inventory in the U.S. increased by 2.5% year-over-year (STR inventory summary).
- In 2023, Europe RevPAR averaged €98.20 (STR Europe summary).
- In 2022, the hotel industry median gross operating profit margin was 18.5% (CBRE 2023 hotel outlook benchmarking).
Hotels are growing through higher rates, tech efficiency, and loyalty, despite staffing shortages and rising operating costs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Labor & Demand4 stats
01
In 2023, hotels and motels in the U.S. generated about $105.6 billion in total sales and receipts (NAICS 721).
02
In 2023, 63% of U.S. hotel employees reported staffing shortages as a top operational challenge (AHLA staffing survey).
03
In May 2024, the U.S. hotel & motel employment index stood at 108.3 (BLS/ CES).
04
The U.S. lodging sector had 2.8 million employees in 2023 (BLS employment by industry series).
Interpretation
Labor & Demand Interpretation
With the lodging sector employing 2.8 million workers in 2023 and 63% of hotel employees citing staffing shortages as the top challenge, labor constraints appear to be tightly shaping demand capacity as the hotel employment index reaches 108.3 in May 2024.
02 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. transportation and warehousing consumer price index increased 3.4% (BLS CPI).
02
U.S. average hourly earnings for leisure and hospitality were $18.38in April 2024 (BLS).
03
In 2023, U.S. airline industry passenger revenue was $250.7 billion (U.S. Department of Transportation).
04
44% of hotel industry professionals cited inflation-driven operating costs as a key concern for 2024 planning
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
With U.S. transportation and warehousing prices up 3.4% in 2023, leisure and hospitality wages at $18.38 per hour in April 2024, and airline passenger revenue reaching $250.7 billion in 2023, hotel professionals are especially concerned that inflation-driven operating costs are a major 2024 planning issue, cited by 44% of industry professionals.
03 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
Hotel direct booking accounted for 41% of bookings in 2023 (Amadeus 2024 hospitality distribution report).
02
In 2023, online travel agencies (OTAs) captured 55% of global hotel online room bookings (Phocuswright).
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For user adoption, guests are still leaning toward online channels with 55% of global hotel room bookings going through OTAs in 2023, even as hotel direct bookings hold a strong 41% share, signaling both rising digital reliance and meaningful momentum for direct.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
67% of travelers worldwide say sustainable practices make them more likely to book (Booking.com Sustainability Survey 2023).
02
The World Bank estimates global tourism account for about 7% of global exports in 2023 (World Bank tourism overview).
03
In 2024, the global hotel construction pipeline included about 1.4 million rooms (JLL hotel development pipeline report).
04
2.2% of U.S. hotel properties added new rooms in 2024, indicating ongoing supply churn
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
With 67% of travelers worldwide saying sustainable practices make them more likely to book, the industry trend is clear that sustainability is becoming a key driver of demand even as the hotel pipeline grows to about 1.4 million rooms in 2024.
05 · Category
Performance Metrics6 stats
01
In 2023, hotels using property management systems (PMS) reported 23% lower front-desk labor time per check-in (Amadeus PMS efficiency study).
02
In 2023, the average hotel room inventory in the U.S. increased by 2.5% year-over-year (STR inventory summary).
03
In 2023, Europe RevPAR averaged €98.20 (STR Europe summary).
04
U.S. hotels increased average daily rate by 3.9% year-over-year in 2024 YTD
05
Hotels with loyalty programs retained 8.7 percentage points more customers than hotels without loyalty programs (2022–2023 cohort study)
06
Personalization increases hotel conversion rates by 2.4x when offers are matched to prior stay behavior (peer-reviewed study)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance Metrics show that technology and customer engagement are moving key operational numbers, with PMS-driven efficiency reducing front-desk labor time per check-in by 23% and personalization lifting hotel conversion rates by 2.4x, even as RevPAR in Europe averaged €98.20 in 2023 and U.S. rates rose 3.9% year-over-year in 2024 YTD.
06 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
In 2022, the hotel industry median gross operating profit margin was 18.5% (CBRE 2023 hotel outlook benchmarking).
02
14.8% of U.S. lodging revenue was generated by extended-stay properties in 2023
03
In 2023, global hotel rooms under construction reached 1.4 million rooms
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the market size view, the industry is seeing expansion alongside solid profitability, with the hotel median gross operating profit margin at 18.5% in 2022 and extended-stay properties driving 14.8% of U.S. lodging revenue in 2023 as global hotel construction surged to 1.4 million rooms in 2023.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Hospitality Travel Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hospitality-travel-industry-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Hospitality Travel Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hospitality-travel-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Hospitality Travel Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hospitality-travel-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+6 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)