Growing a travel brand
Travelers spent $1.4 trillion in the US in 2025, and Americans who fly overseas average $163,000 in household income. Reach them on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.
How big is the travel industry?
Travelers spent $1.4 trillion in the United States in 2025, and $900 billion of it went on domestic leisure trips.
| Measure | Figure | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Travel spending in the US | $1.4 trillion | 2025 |
| Domestic leisure travel spending | $900 billion | 2025 |
| International tourist arrivals worldwide | 1.52 billion | 2025 |
| US travelers who flew overseas | 53.8 million | 2024 |
| Travel agent jobs | 61,500 | 2025 |
The US spending figures come from the U.S. Travel Association's 2025 economic impact data, produced with Tourism Economics.[1, 2, 3, 4]
Who are US travelers?
Americans who fly overseas had an average household income of $163,000 in 2024, and most traveled for a vacation.
| Group | What the figures show |
|---|---|
| US travelers flying overseas | Average household income of $163,000 |
| Their main reason to travel | Vacation 61%, visiting friends or family 27%, business 5% |
| Their trips | 15.3 nights and $1,907 spent outside the US, on average |
| Inbound: overseas visitors to the US | 34.3 million in 2025, with average household income of $90,880 |
These figures come from the National Travel and Tourism Office.[3, 5]
Which platforms should a travel brand grow on?
YouTube reaches the most US adults, and Instagram reaches twice as many high-income adults as TikTok does.
Pinterest isn't in Pew's 2026 survey; 36% of US adults used it in 2024. Protect the brand with a trademark, and take bookings on your own .com. For domain endings and trademark classes, see naming a travel brand.[6, secondary]
Checks the .com, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and trademarks in one search.
Who are the top travel creators?
Cruise captain Kate McCue is on the TIME100 Creators 2025 list, and IShowSpeed and Anna Sitar are on Forbes' 2026 list of top creators.
| Creator | Known for | Named by |
|---|---|---|
| Kate McCue | Cruise ship captain with 4.6 million followers on Instagram and TikTok in 2025 | TIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
| IShowSpeed | Travel tours such as Speed Does America and Speed Does Africa | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #8 |
| Anna Sitar | Travel diaries and running videos; a long-term partner of Delta | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #44 |
Which sites are the authorities on travel?
The U.S. Travel Association, the National Travel and Tourism Office, UN Tourism and Skift are the main authorities on travel.
| Site | What it is | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Travel Association (opens in a new tab) | National non-profit representing all parts of the US travel industry | Spending and jobs data |
| National Travel and Tourism Office (opens in a new tab) | The official US government source for international travel data | Visitor and outbound travel data |
| UN Tourism (opens in a new tab) | The United Nations agency for tourism | Global arrivals and trends |
| Skift (opens in a new tab) | Daily news for travel executives | Industry news |
Sources (9)
- PrimaryU.S. Travel Association: Economic Impact of the U.S. Travel Industry, 2025 national data (opens in a new tab); and About U.S. Travel (opens in a new tab) (archived)
- PrimaryUN Tourism: International tourist arrivals up 4% in 2025 (opens in a new tab); and About UN Tourism (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryNational Travel and Tourism Office: Characteristics of U.S. Outbound Travelers to Overseas Destinations, 2024 (opens in a new tab); and About NTTO (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryUS Bureau of Labor Statistics: Travel Agents (opens in a new tab), Occupational Outlook Handbook
- PrimaryNational Travel and Tourism Office: 2025 Survey of International Air Travelers results (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Social Media Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab), survey of US adults
- SecondaryTIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab): profile of Kate McCue
- SecondaryForbes: Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab) (archived)
- PrimarySkift: About (opens in a new tab)