Leading Brands in U.S. Travel & Tourism: Q1 2025 Insights

As the travel and tourism sector continues to evolve, certain brands stand out due to their impressive digital footprint and audience engagement. In Q1 2025, Google Maps, Ride with Uber, and Expedia emerged as key players, showcasing significant monthly deduplicated audiences across their websites and apps. Sensor Tower's comprehensive data provides a unique lens into these brands' performances and trends.

Google Maps

Google Maps maintains a robust presence both online and via its app, Google Maps.

• Audience Trends:

  • Website (maps.google.com): Visitor numbers increased steadily, with March 2025 seeing over 680K visits.

  • True Audience: Consistently above 210M, with a notable increase to over 220M by March.

  • Web vs. App: The app dominates with the majority of the monthly audience, while web-only users remain minimal.

• App Engagement:

  • Monthly active users remained stable, hovering around 26M.

• Ad Spend & Channels:

  • Minimal monthly ad spend in the travel category, with sporadic activity in November 2024 on Instagram and X.

Ride with Uber

Ride with Uber, accessible via uber.com and the Uber - Request a ride app, continues to be a leader in transportation.

• Audience Trends:

  • Website: Consistently high visits, peaking around 32M in March 2025.

  • True Audience: Ranged between 43M and 46M, with a balanced mix of app and web monthly users.

• App Engagement:

  • Monthly active users remained strong, fluctuating around 32M.

• Ad Spend & Channels:

  • Significant monthly spend across multiple channels, notably on TikTok and Snapchat, with impressions reaching into the billions.

Expedia

Expedia's digital strategy includes expedia.com and the Expedia: Hotels, Flights, Cars app.

• Audience Trends:

  • Website: Visits surged past 290M in March 2025, demonstrating strong engagement.

  • True Audience: Grew steadily, reaching nearly 37M in March, with a healthy balance of web and app monthly users.

• App Engagement:

  • Monthly active users remained consistent, slightly over 5.5M.

• Ad Spend & Channels:

  • High monthly spend across various channels, with YouTube and OTT leading in impressions.

Conclusion

The Q1 2025 data highlights the continued dominance of Google Maps, Ride with Uber, and Expedia in the U.S. travel and tourism sector. Sensor Tower's unparalleled data offerings, including Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics, provide a critical understanding of user behavior across platforms. As these brands continue to innovate, their digital strategies will be pivotal in shaping the future of travel and tourism.

By leveraging Sensor Tower's insights, decision-makers can gain a competitive edge, ensuring strategic growth and sustained success in a rapidly evolving market.