Spending tips

Although business travel has made significant progress in its recovery in recent months, it’s uncertain if and when it will fully rebound from the pandemic.

Card giant Visa sailed past estimates for fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday as consumers on a post-pandemic travel rebound shrugged off worries of a looming economic slowdown and cost-of-living crisis.

The travel spending gap between outbound American travelers and inbound international travelers amounted to $802 million in September, the third month this year with a deficit for the U.S., according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. In May and June, the U.S. also experienced a spending a gap of $800 million.

International inbound visitors spent more than $15.8 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States in October, making it the highest monthly level of spending since Covid struck in February 2020, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. 

Mastercard Inc forecast current-quarter revenue growth short of Wall Street estimates on Thursday, saying the boost from pent-up demand for travel will diminish going forward.

International visitors spent $15.9 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the U.S. in November, up 57 percent year over year, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office.  That’s an improvement from November 2021, but it’s billions of dollars down from international visitor spending in pre-pandemic November 2019, which had $20 billion.

International inbound travelers spent nearly $163 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services in 2022, up 96 percent from 2021, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office’s latest monthly data. On average, international travelers spent more than $445 million a day in 2022.

American tourists are driving the UK’s recovery more than any other region, according to VisitBritain. More Americans are traveling to the UK and they are spending more than they did in 2019.

Thailand’s economy in May improved from the previous month as tourism gathered momentum and private consumption increased while exports remained weak, the central bank said on Friday.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, August 10. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Chinese group tours are back in Japan but anyone banking on them arriving in droves and splashing around cash like they did before the pandemic is likely to be disappointed.

In March 1923, over 400 deep-pocket travelers arrived back in New York City after spending 130 days at sea onboard the world's first around-the-globe cruise.

The dream of a new Air India will soon become reality.

"Paris syndrome" describes the feeling of visiting Paris for the first time, only to feel disappointed that the city is not as beautiful or enchanting as you expected it to be.

The folks at Travelex, the foreign-exchange giant, recently published a list of the destinations where £500 (currently, $674 USD) would last the longest. Although the list targeted British travelers, the figures should work out about the same for travelers from North America, with roughly $700 in mind.

For some, a trip to Argentina would not be complete without a day tour with a local gaucho. A prominent figure in Argentine culture, gaucho typically refers to local nomadic horsemen, known for their bravery and ability to rope cattle. See how travel expert Heidi Fuller-Love gets on while spending a day in gaucho Argentina.