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

In Q1 2025, the Travel & Tourism category in the United States witnessed significant activity across major brands. This article delves into the performance and trends of some of the leading brands: Google Maps, Expedia, and Ride with Uber. Sensor Tower’s comprehensive data insights provide a detailed look into these brands' web and app engagements.

Google Maps

Google Maps continues to be a dominant force in the Travel & Tourism sector, showcasing robust engagement on both its website and app.

• Audience Trends: The monthly true audience for Google Maps remained stable above 210M throughout Q1 2025, with a noticeable increase to approximately 220M by March. The web-only visitors were consistently below 150K, indicating a strong preference for the app.

• App Engagement: The Google Maps app saw monthly active users rise from 214M in January to over 219M by March, marking a clear preference for mobile navigation.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Google Maps maintained minimal monthly ad spend within the Travel & Tourism category, focusing instead on organic growth and user engagement.

Expedia

Expedia demonstrated dynamic growth, leveraging both its website and app to capture a diverse audience.

• Audience Trends: The website, expedia.com, experienced a steady increase in visits, peaking at over 310M in March. Monthly true audience numbers also grew, reaching nearly 36M by the end of Q1 2025.

• App Engagement: The Expedia: Hotels, Flights, Cars app saw monthly active users increase from 12M in January to around 13M in March, indicating a growing trend towards mobile bookings.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Expedia's significant monthly ad spend, exceeding $11M in March, was primarily channeled through platforms like YouTube and OTT (Over-the-top media service), delivering millions of impressions.

Ride with Uber

Ride with Uber maintained its stronghold in the ride-sharing market, with consistent web and app usage.

• Audience Trends: The website, uber.com, saw stable visits, with unique visits hovering around 5M each month. Monthly true audience figures remained above 45M, showing a balanced web and app user base.

• App Engagement: The Uber - Request a ride app had monthly active users reaching over 43M by March, reflecting consistent demand for ride-sharing services.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Uber's monthly ad spend was robust, with March expenditures surpassing $4M, largely through TikTok and OTT channels, achieving substantial reach.

Conclusion

The first quarter of 2025 highlights the varied strategies and engagements of leading brands in the Travel & Tourism category. Sensor Tower’s unparalleled data insights reveal the intricate dynamics of web and app usage, providing crucial visibility into user behavior across platforms. With offerings like Web Insights, Pathmatics, and App Performance Insights, Sensor Tower remains at the forefront of delivering comprehensive market intelligence. This data empowers decision-makers with the insights needed to navigate the competitive landscape effectively.