McKinsey’s ‘The State of Tourism and Hospitality 2024.’ report which includes a survey of over 5,000 travelers explores trends and preferences shaping the travel industry today.
Key highlights from the study:
Faces, places, and trends shaping tourism in 2024: Global travel is back and buzzing. More regional trips, newly emerging travelers, and a fresh set of destinations are powering steady spending.
After falling by 75 percent in 2020, travel is on its way to a full recovery by the end of 2024. Domestic travel is expected to grow 3 percent annually and reach 19 billion lodging nights per year by 2030. Spending on travel is expected to follow a similar trajectory, with an estimated $8.6 trillion in traveler outlays in 2024, representing roughly 9 percent of this year’s global GDP.
India’s GDP growth of 6 percent year over year is bolstering a new generation of travelers, resulting in a projected annual growth in travel spending of roughly 9 percent per year. With this growth, India’s domestic market could overtake Japan’s and Mexico’s to become the world’s fourth largest by 2030.
Domestic air passenger traffic in India is projected to double by 2030, boosted in part by a state-subsidized initiative that aims to connect underserved domestic airports
Development focus has shifted away from major metropolises such as Mumbai and Delhi and toward fast-developing, smaller cities such as Chandigarh and Hyderabad
The way we travel now: A survey of travelers reveals disparate desires, generational divides, and a newly emerging set of traveler archetypes.
66% of the travelers say they’re more interested in travel now than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. This pattern holds across all surveyed age groups and nationalities. Respondents also indicate that they’re planning more trips in 2024 than they did in 2023.
Travel isn’t merely an interest these days. It’s become a priority—even amid uncertain economic conditions that can make budgeting a challenge. Only 15 percent of our survey respondents say they’re trying to save money by reducing the number of trips they go on.
In 2023, millennials and Gen Zers took, on average, nearly five trips, versus less than four for Gen Xers and baby boomers. Millennials and Gen Zers also say they devote, on average, 29 percent of their incomes to travel, compared with 26 percent for Gen Zers and 25 percent for baby boomers.
Younger travelers are particularly excited about international travel. Gen Zers and millennials who responded to our survey are planning a nearly equal number of international and domestic trips in 2024, no matter their country of origin, whereas older generations are planning to take roughly twice as many domestic trips.
Baby boomers are selective about their travel choices and travel spending. Enjoying time with family and friends is their number-one motivation for taking a trip. Experiencing a new destination is less important to them—by as much as 15 percentage points—than to any other demographic.
Updating perceptions about today’s luxury traveler: Some widely held notions about luxury travelers—such as how much money they have or how old they are—could be due for reexamination.
35% of the luxury-travel market is now composed of travelers with net worths of between $100,000 and $1 million. “Aspiring luxury travelers” have their own set of preferences, so it’s crucial for the industry to understand this growing segment.
68% of luxury travelers say loyalty programs are an important factor when choosing accommodations, compared with only 41% of mass travelers. While they’re less focused on accumulating points and redeeming them for free stays, they’re more attuned to the recognition that comes with being a valued loyalty customer.
80% of the luxury leisure market is made up of people below the age of 60. Spending on travel peaks between the ages of 40 and 60, and younger travelers show an increasing willingness and ability to spend at luxury levels.