Research Interactive Travel Data The U.S. Travel Insights Dashboard INTERACTIVE TRAVEL DATA April 30, 2026 Travel spending grew 5.0 percent year over year in March to $113 billion, the strongest growth in the past twelve months. Travel prices rose faster than travel volumes, implying spending growth was driven not only by increased volume. The Travel Price Index (TPI), rose 5.8 percent in March, well ahead of the 3.3 percent rise in the broader Consumer Price Index. The increases were concentrated in transportation-related categories: Gas prices were up 19.2 percent year over year. Transportation costs were up 17.3 percent. Airline fares climbed 14.9 percent. The cost increases reflect energy price shocks that followed the recent Middle East conflict, which has quickly fed through to higher fuel and transportation prices. Volume indicators softened in parallel: Air passenger growth slowed to 1.7 percent, down from 2.7 percent in February. Hotel demand grew 2.6 percent, slightly below the 2.9 percent recorded in February. Overseas arrivals grew 3.6 percent but remain 15 percent below 2019 on a year-to-date basis. Short-term rental demand grew 2.2 percent. Consumers felt the squeeze, but the demand response is still ahead. Consumer sentiment weakened: The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index fell to near-record lows at 47.6 in March. The share of consumers who view the present as a good time to spend on leisure travel slipped to 34.0 percent, while the share viewing it as a bad time rose to 27.2 percent. The Longwoods International consumer sentiment reading, tracking travelers with plans in the next six months, fell to 89 percent in March, only the second dip below 90 percent over the past three years. U.S. Travel members have access to the exclusive U.S. Travel Insights Dashboard, the most comprehensive and centralized source for high-frequency intelligence on the U.S. travel industry and the broader economy. The platform, powered by Tourism Economics, is supported by approximately 20 data partners and tracks industry performance, travel volumes and predictive travel indicators to provide members with a detailed, interactive view of travel's recovery and performance. Supporting Data Providers AirDNA Future Partners Longwoods International National Park Service Northstar Meetings Group Simpleview Tempest TransUnion TSA U.S. Department of Commerce Airline Data Inc. MMGY National Travel and Tourism Office Oxford Economics STR Tourism Economics TravelClick, an Amadeus Company U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
