Leisure Travel Market Report 2026

The leisure travel market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $1.43 trillion in 2025 to $1.62 trillion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing disposable income levels, expansion of global tourism infrastructure, growth of middle-class population, rising affordability of air travel, increased availability of travel accommodation options.

The leisure travel market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $2.71 trillion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for sustainable tourism practices, rising adoption of digital travel platforms, expansion of wellness-focused travel offerings, growing interest in cultural and local experiences, increasing personalization of travel services. Major trends in the forecast period include growing demand for experiential travel, rising preference for customized travel itineraries, expansion of wellness and leisure tourism, increasing popularity of short-haul and weekend trips, higher adoption of digital booking platforms.

The growing consumer preference for recreational travel experiences is anticipated to drive the expansion of the leisure travel market. Recreational travel experiences focus on activities and trips designed for leisure, enjoyment, and relaxation. This shift stems from consumers valuing memorable and immersive travel experiences more than material possessions. Additionally, there is an increased demand for connection, involvement, and authenticity in these travel experiences. Leisure travel offers opportunities for outdoor adventures, sports, cultural events, and relaxation across various destinations. For example, in May 2024, the Adventure Travel Trade Association reported a 54% increase in the average number of travelers served by adventure travel operators, rising to 6,553 from 4,243 in 2022. This trend underscores the growing consumer preference for recreational travel experiences and its impact on the leisure travel market.

Companies in the leisure travel sector are increasingly focusing on digital transformation and online booking solutions, such as hotel content distribution platforms, to enhance personalized experiences and streamline operations. These platforms centralize and simplify the management and distribution of hotel information, rates, and availability across multiple booking channels to improve visibility and optimize bookings. For instance, in March 2024, Amadeus IT Group SA introduced Amadeus Leisure Connect, a technology solution that connects hotel providers with travel sellers. This platform integrates private agreements to streamline hotel content distribution, offering real-time rates and inventory. Travel sellers can personalize and upsell services while accessing exclusive prepaid net rates from over 600,000 properties. Amadeus Leisure Connect simplifies bookings and optimizes revenue, enhancing traveler experiences and operational efficiency.

In January 2023, Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT), an Australia-based travel service provider, acquired Scott Dunn for £121 million ($149 million). This acquisition aims to broaden Flight Centre's luxury and leisure travel portfolio, drive revenue growth, and achieve cost efficiencies by integrating Scott Dunn's high-margin, premium brand. Scott Dunn Ltd., a U.K.-based tour operator, specializes in leisure travel services.

Major companies operating in the leisure travel market are TUI Group, Priceline Group, Booking Holdings Inc., Expedia Group Inc., CWT Global BV, Airbnb Inc., American Express Global Business Travel, Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd, TripAdvisor Inc, Orbitz LLC, World Travel Inc., Contiki Holidays Ltd., Abercrombie & Kent Ltd., G Adventures Inc., Trivago N.V., Cox & Kings Ltd., Travelocity.com LP, Direct Travel Inc., Travel Leaders Group LLC, MakeMyTrip Pvt. Ltd., Luxury Escapes Pty Ltd., Intrepid Travel Pty Ltd., GetYourGuide AG, Kayak Software Corporation, JTB Americas Group Inc., TravelBag Ltd., Thomas Cook Group plc, Trafalgar Tours Ltd., Hays Travel Limited.

North America was the largest region in the leisure travel market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the leisure travel market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the leisure travel market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The leisure travel market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as travel planning and booking, accommodation, transportation, tour packages, activities and excursions, travel insurance, travel concierge services, special interest travel, visa and documentation assistance. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The leisure travel market also includes sales of airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, cruise packages, tour packages, travel insurance policies, activity passes, vacation packages, special interest travel packages, travel accessories. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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