Global leisure travel spend 2019-2022

Global leisure tourism spending rose by 31.5 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year. Despite the significant annual increase, the expenditure by domestic travelers worldwide remained below the figure from 2019, the year before the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, amounting to roughly 4.1 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022.

Leisure tourism vs. business travel

Leisure tourism mainly refers to vacations, visits to friends or relatives, and all journeys made for leisure purposes. On the other hand, business travel includes all trips taken for work-related reasons, such as attending meetings, congresses, and conferences. In 2022, the total travel and tourism expenditure worldwide, including leisure and business trips, exceeded five trillion U.S. dollars but remained below pre-pandemic levels.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted international tourism?

After peaking at 1.46 billion in 2019, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide, including leisure and business travelers, declined by approximately 72 percent in 2020 due to the pandemic, falling back to 1990 levels, then bounced back to just under 970 million in 2022. That year in Europe, the leading region worldwide based on inbound tourist arrivals, international arrivals reached nearly 600 million.