Camping and Cruises the Fastest-Growing Segments in Travel

Frances and Michael in U-Boat Worx Sea Explorer underwater. Photo by diver from Substation Curacao

We are so glad that as travel journalists our writing specialities are in Camping and Cruises.

In the camping industry we write 36 features a year for MotorCaravanner Magazine.

Our long running series of Voyage of a Lifetime in Sea Breezes magazine continues to report on the cruising scene.

Reports just out predict that Travel and Tourism will become a trillion-dollar industry by 2027.  Camping and Cruises are the fastest-growing segments

Although it took three years for the global travel and tourism sector to fully recover after COVID-19, the entire market has picked up the pace of solid growth and is on its way to reaching a new massive milestone.

Stocklytics.com, are global travel and tourism industry experts. According to their data tourism is expected to gross $927 billion in revenue this year. That 8.3% more than in 2023. This figure will grow by 14% and hit over one trillion dollars in 2027.

Fastest-Growing Segments

Four years after COVID-19 hit, it seems like the travel and tourism sector was never down on its knees.  People worldwide are spending billions of dollars on traveling and vacation. Inflation has significantly raised the prices of accommodation and tourist services. Despite this more than two billion people will spend their money on hotels, cruises, vacation rentals, and package holidays this year. That’s 200 million more than before the pandemic.

With rising prices and the growing number of users, the entire market is expected to gross $927 billion in revenue in 2024.  Or 8.3% more than last year. Although annual growth rate will drop below 4% in following years, travel and tourism will still hit a new milestone.  And it will become a trillion-dollar industry.

According to Statista Market Insights, people worldwide will spend $1.03 trillion on vacation and traveling in 2027, or 14% more than this year. Nearly half of that value, or $494 billion, will come from hotels, the market’s largest segment.

Package holidays will make up another 30% of total revenue, or $331 billion. While the two sectors will make up almost 80% of total market revenue in 2027, camping and cruises will remain the fastest-growing segments.

Global camping market

Statista data show the global camping market will continue growing by a CAGR of 7,28%, twice that of the hotel industry.  The camping market hit $60 billion in revenue by 2027, up from $48 billion this year.

The cruise industry follows with a CAGR of 5% and $35 billion in revenue in 2027, or $5 billion more than this year.

In global comparison, Europe will remain the world’s largest travel and tourism market, generating $303 billion, or nearly one-third of total revenue in 2027. China and The United States and follow $223 billion and $217 billion, respectively.

Half a billion new travellers 

The Statista survey also revealed that all segments of the travel and tourism industry will see substantial user growth in the next three years.  Hotels will reach over 1.36 billion users in 2027, up from 1.26 billion this year.

The number of people using vacation rentals is set to grow by 63 million and hit 921 million in the next three years. Package holidays follow with 580 million users in 2027, up from 557 million this year. Statistics show the camping market will see roughly 90 million new users in this period. That pushes the total user count to over 371 million. Cruises follow with a 4 million increase and 32 million users by 2027.

Overall, the travel and tourism market is expected to see more than half a billion new users in the next three years. Bringing its total number to 2.25 billion.