First there was Black Friday – then Cyber Monday.
Now, business-hungry consumers have a reason to shop online for a day longer. “Travel Tuesday” – the first Tuesday after the American Thanksgiving holiday – is aimed at those looking for discounts on travel, not flat-screen TVs.
According to a report published by, search interest for “Travel Tuesday” increased by more than 500% from 2021 to 2023 McKinsey & Company on Thursday.
Searches are highest among American and Canadian consumers, but interest is also increasing in Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Spain, according to McKinsey.
Google Trends supports this, showing that searches for “Travel Tuesday” began in November 2017, declined during the pandemic and rose sharply in 2022 and 2023, primarily in North America, Western Europe and Australia.
“European travel companies can expect Travel Tuesday to become a growing phenomenon in their region,” says the McKinsey report.
With the exception of Singapore, Travel Tuesday has not yet caught on in Asia, the report said, which may be due to the regional popularity of China's “Singles' Day” – a week-long sales period that peaks on November 11 each year .
Search interest for “Travel Tuesday” on Google Trends since 2019.
Source: Google Trends (https://www.google.com/trends)
But that doesn't stop Asian companies from getting involved in the sale to reach a global clientele.
Kristen Jennings Graff, sales and marketing manager at Bawah Reserve, an eco-resort in Indonesia's Riau Islands, said her company launched its first “Travel Tuesday” promotion in 2023.
“We had an offer where you could choose – upgrade, discount or a free flight,” she said. “It gave us good sales.”
Flights, hotels and cruises
McKinsey's report, “Travel Tuesday is Real – and Growing,” shows that American travelers' hotel, flight and cruise bookings skyrocketed on last year's “Travel Tuesday,” which took place on November 28, 2023 .
According to the report, flight bookings increased by more than 60% on the day and cruise bookings increased by more than 50% compared to the two-week period before and after.
Hotel bookings also increased by 28%, although they were slightly exceeded by bookings made the day before, Cyber Monday, according to the report. Searches for “Cyber Monday” are far greater than “Travel Tuesday,” but interest in the former is declining, it was revealed.
“Travel bookings made on Travel Tuesday exceeded those made on Cyber Monday,” said Ryan Mann, a partner in McKinsey’s travel, logistics and infrastructure practice and one of the report’s authors.
However, Mann warns that Travel Tuesday may not do for the travel industry what Black Friday did for retail.
On both dates, consumers are looking for the best deals, he said. “But unlike some impulse purchases consumers make on Black Friday, travel bookings may require more planning.”
Those willing to book can get discounts on airfares, cruises and travel packages. Many hotels offer 20-30% off the best available rates. Travelers can check out Travel Tuesday deals starting in 2023 to get an idea of what to expect this year.
A portion of year-end expenses
With rising travel costs and inflationary pressures, finding a good deal is a top priority for travelers.
According to McKinsey, a day set aside for travel discounts can be a win for travelers and an opportunity for companies to increase revenue at a time when there is typically a lull in bookings. Late November/early December is often considered too late for winter bookings and too early for summer bookings, the report said.
It could also be a way to preserve some of the end-of-year holiday spending, which has long been dominated by physical gifts.
According to personal finance company WalletHub's 2024 Winter Travel Survey, more than half of Americans (58%) say they prefer to spend their money on travel rather than shopping.
A 2024 global Amex Trendex survey of more than 13,000 adults earning at least $50,000 a year found that about one in three respondents said they plan to provide an “experience” for a significant other or their children. For friends, the rate rose even higher: According to the survey, almost 70% said they would rather give the gift of an experience or trip than a material gift.
According to the Amex survey released in September, entertainment (59%) and travel (54%) were the most popular experiences.
Comments are closed.