Key Takeaways:
Reduced U.S. inflation in 2023, at 3.4% YoY in December (down from 6.4% in 2022) likely propelled travel demand throughout the year. 2023 downloads for Sensor Tower’s airlines cohort (+4% YoY) increased inline with the TSA’s reported number of passengers flowing through checkpoints (+13% YoY)
After a 15-month shutdown during the pandemic, the cruise industry rebounded with a remarkable 304% YoY increase in downloads for Sensor Tower’s cruise apps cohort in 2022 and saw sustained growth of ~40% YoY in 2023
Budget airlines encountered challenges in 4Q23, experiencing negative YoY growth in MAUs. Spirit and JetBlue, in particular, saw double-digit declines of 16% and 14% YoY, respectively. These declines are likely indicative of a shift in US travelers' preferences towards international travel
In 2023, a notable shift in consumer preferences for travel accommodations occurred as vacation rental platforms Vrbo and Airbnb saw MAUs decline an average 9% and 3% YoY, respectively, while hotel apps such as Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG Hotels, and Hotels.com saw MAUs increase by a collective average of 20%
For more information, request the full report from reports@sensortower.com.