Despite Cancelled Flights and Short-Staffed Hotels, Americans Are (Sort of) Traveling Again

The travel industry is on the road to recovery after it was devastated by pandemic-related restrictions and lockdowns. But the rebound has been uneven, as some travel sectors still struggle while others are gliding back to normality.

Prior to the pandemic, the U.S. travel industry enjoyed 10 consecutive years of growth. But all that came crashing down when the pandemic hit in 2020. Direct spending on travel slumped to only 62 percent compared with the previous year, says the U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group.

This year, look for overall in the U.S. to increase to about 90% of 2019’s level, when