Meta’s Impact on Travel and Tourism

A landmark study released by Tourism Economics reveals the critical economic value that Meta platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—generate for travel and tourism businesses in the United States, EU27, and the United Kingdom.

In 2024 alone, incremental revenue driven by advertising on Meta platforms contributed $5.6 billion to U.S. GDP, $3.7 billion in the EU27, and $0.7 billion in the U.K., while supporting 46,000, 45,000, and 9,000 jobs, respectively.

Commissioned by Meta, the study assesses return on advertising spend and traces how travel activity linked to advertising on Meta platforms translates into incremental business revenue and broader economic impacts.

Mega Reach Across the Travel Decision Journey

Meta’s influence spans the entire travel lifecycle—from inspiration and planning to sharing and reviewing experiences. In key outbound travel markets, Meta platforms reached 77% of the digital population and 88% of visitors to travel-related websites in January 2024.

Actionable Findings

The report outlines strategic recommendations for tourism organizations to effectively harness the power of Meta platforms—each with their own case study—including:

• Harness the power of AI
• Promote a holistic national storytelling across the ecosystem
• Unlock the creator effect
• Deepen user engagement through business messaging
• Diversify the creative offering
• Leverage short form video (Reels)
• Transform customer journey with emerging tech (AR/VR)
• Adopt a data-driven approach to tourism marketing

“As digital content becomes increasingly embedded in consumer lifestyles, platforms like Meta are not only shaping travel inspiration, they’re generating real-world economic outcomes. This study highlights how strategic use of social media can unlock growth for destinations and stakeholders across the tourism ecosystem.”
_{– Adam Sacks, President, Tourism Economics}