Demand for travel related consumer spending is back

The turnaround in domestic travel spending has been impressive but a full recovery likely lies with the ability of travelers to access international markets.
A bar chart comparing real vs. nominal U.S. consumer spending on travel related services in May 2021 relative to May 2019. See image description.
A bar chart comparing real vs. nominal U.S. consumer spending on travel related services in May 2021 relative to May 2019. Overall real U.S. consumer spending had recovered as of May 2021 to 102% of pre pandemic levels and 105% in nominal (inflation-adjusted) terms, but travel was below 100% of May 2019 levels in all categories tracked for the analysis. The strongest categories were air transportation, at 83% and 72% respectively), amusement parks (69% and 69.5%), hotels (59% and 57%), and car rentals (at 58% and 91%). The remaining categories were still at less than half of their pre-pandemic spending levels, including taxis/rideshares (at 49% and 49.5%), package tours (at 39%/39%), and foreign travel (at 21% and 19% respectively).