Revenge Travel

Happy Sunday! Post-pandemic, travel companies are talking about an industry slowdown. So, today, we explore: Is the era of revenge travel over? Have feedback for us? Just hit reply - we'd love to hear from you! TOGETHER WITH [Sponsor Logo](   Remember those hazy days when we first started to emerge from the pandemic? When borders started to soften, authorities cautiously looked to ease international travel restrictions, and you (and almost everyone you knew) swore never to take the ability to leave your house, state, or nation for granted ever again? The rush of people eager to book trips quickly morphed into a trend known as “revenge travel”, with consumers digging deep into their COVID-boosted savings to splurge on cruises, flights, and hotels. That desire to get away has now lasted as long as the pandemic itself, as America continues to rediscover its sense of wanderlust. In fact, earlier this year, more Americans than ever were planning international travel, according to data from The Conference Board’s [US Consumer Confidence Survey](. In February, a record 21.8% of Americans intended on holidaying abroad within the next 6 months… perhaps with an eye on joining the throngs of tourists in summer hotspots like [Barcelona]( or [Santorini](. But now, a few years and some vacations later, travel companies are starting to sound the alarm about an apparent slowdown in the industry. Taking a break? Earlier [this month](, Airbnb shares slipped after the company delivered a somewhat gloomy outlook on the state of travel, as US demand faltered and the window between customers booking and taking trips narrowed. Ryanair issued a similarly [subdued outlook](, and Expedia Group, the company behind a range of online aggregators like Expedia itself and Hotels.com, was also suffering from “a slowdown in travel demand, consistent with recent commentary from others”, per the [company’s CFO](. It might be a tricky idea to get our heads around at this time of year, when social media feeds are flooded with envy-inducing poolside or beachside snaps, but such comments would suggest that the era of “revenge travel” might be coming to an end. The sentiment is even harder to process when you look at passenger data showing millions of Americans jetting off every single month; luggage sales [bouncing back]( strongly; and a flurry of headlines like “[Europe Has a New Economic Engine: American Tourists](”. Globetrotters As of July, over 44 million US passengers had departed from American airports on international flights in 2024, up ~10% on last year’s Jan-Jul tally, and 43% on the same period in 2022. While it’s obviously difficult to nail down the proportion of those flights that were for pleasure rather than business — corporate trips have reportedly made a comeback, just [a little slower]( than vacations — it’s fair to assume that the bulk of the ~16 million passengers who took off in June and July were summer-season holidaymakers.   [Sponsored by RAD AI]( The AI investment for clued-in tech execs With new AI technologies emerging daily, it's crucial to understand which ones stand out. Goldman Sachs is predicting AI investments could reach over $200B globally by 2025, with tech giants like Nvidia, Meta, and Tesla pouring billions into the market. So why are execs from Google, Amazon, and Meta [investing RAD AI?]( 📝 Booked: RAD AI’s booked revenue growth is equally impressive at ~3X over the last 12 months. 🤝 Backed: Proven AI tech that works, backed by 7800+ investors and the Adobe Fund for Design. 💪 Bolstered: Recurring revenue from major clients like Hasbro, Skechers and Sweetgreen. So far, [RAD AI has raised $35M+ from over 7800 investors]( and their AI tech has delivered 3.5X ROI across campaigns and marketing channels. Clients like Hasbro, Sweetgreen and Skechers choose RAD AI. And now, there’s a limited opportunity to ride the RAD AI wave!* [Invest Now, and get 20% in Bonus Shares**]( [Invest Now, and get 20% in Bonus Shares**](   It’s not just stateside travelers who are getting back out there either: a recent report from the UN revealed that international tourism hit 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the [first quarter](, as people around the world also looked to make up for lost time. So, it seems that there’s a schism between what some travel companies are saying and what some of the data’s showing, at least [for now](. However, whatever the shorter term fluctuations and trends in the travel world, zooming out a little further shows that more Americans have been taking the necessary steps to ensure that they can see more of the world… whether they’re doing so with a vengeance or not. According to the State Department, only 5% of Americans had a valid passport back in 1990. Just over 30 years later, that figure reportedly reached almost 50%, with a whopping 160.7 million US passports in circulation [in 2023](. While much of that increase might be attributed to factors like the rise of budget airlines, or a law change in 2007 that meant you needed a passport to get into countries like Mexico and Canada, it also reflects the enduring [experience economy]( and the growing modern American urge to see the world beyond the States. In the short-term, maybe the post-pandemic travel boom is starting to lose a little steam, but in the long-run, America’s appetite to see the world seems to be only increasing. Revenge travel is just travel. [Read this on the web instead]( [One less guess](: RAD AI’s technology helps brands remove the doubt from branded content strategy and creation. It’s already delivering results for brands like Hasbro and Sweetgreen, and its 7800+ investors include execs from the likes of Google, Amazon, and Meta. RAD’s latest round just opened — [invest now* to get 20% bonus shares](.** Ad   Thanks for stopping by! Have some [feedback](mailto:daily@chartr.co?subject=Feedback&body=Hi, I like the newsletters, but I had a thought for you...) or want to [sponsor this newsletter](mailto:advertising@sherwoodmedia.com?subject=I’m interested in advertising with Sherwood Media)?   Not a subscriber? Sign up for free below. 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