Overall key trends, according to the of anonymized and aggregated sales activity across the Mastercard network, include:
- The great American road trip returns in a new way. Americans’ tendency to travel closer to home has driven the trajectory of rentals of micro-mobility solutions (e.g., scooters, bicycles), which surpassed 2019 levels at the end of July. Although gasoline demand has been down year-over-year throughout the pandemic (down 12% YOY this summer from May 31-August 14), gasoline sales in the U.S. have been improving since April. The rebound of gas spending also speaks to consumers getting out and spending but maintaining a tighter footprint.
- Boutique is chic. Our analysis shows that travelers are increasingly opting to stay small. Recently, the global recovery rate of small independent hotels has outpaced the recovery of large hotels by over 50%. In the U.S. we’re seeing the same trend of smaller hotels recovering faster than large hotels, but to a lesser degree.
In terms of national and international recovery data:
- The U.S. is among the top countries (#6) leading in terms of the recovery of travel and entertainment spending across the G20. U.S. travel & entertainment retail sales, including airlines, lodging and restaurants, improved in July (-21.5% year over year) compared to June (-25.9%), according to Mastercard SpendingPulse.
- On a global note – Italy, Russia and France are leading the recovery of travel and entertainment spending across the G20. This includes travel sectors such as airlines and lodging as well as activities such as eating out. Despite being a focus of the pandemic earlier this year, Italy’s significant restaurant culture and extensive domestic tourism industry have helped it to bounce back faster than other markets.
