Increased Travel by Latvians in 2024 Compared to 2023
Residents' International Travel Trends in 2024
In 2024, there was a notable increase in international travel by residents, with a focus on outbound trips from countries like the United States and Canada.
Travel Volume
U.S. residents traveling abroad saw a significant surge, with over 53 million traveling overseas in 2024 (excluding Canada and Mexico), marking a strong rebound from pandemic lows. Overall, outbound U.S. tourists reached approximately 98 million in 2023, with continued growth expected into 2024. Conversely, Canadian residents' trips abroad decreased by 21% in June 2025 compared to June 2024, indicating a continuing downward trend after the pandemic.
Destinations
The destinations for international travel varied by country. For Canadian residents in 2025, the majority of overseas visitors arriving were from the UK, India, and France, highlighting these as key outbound source and reciprocal travel markets. For U.S. residents, the variety of overseas destinations increased, driven by changing demographics and consumer interest in new locations.
Expenditures
While specific expenditure figures for 2024 were not available, the growth in outbound tourism suggests higher total spending abroad. For instance, the rebound and growth of international trips by U.S. residents are supported by rising incomes and strong consumer demand, which typically correlate with increased spending per trip. Turkey’s outbound tourist expenditure data up to early 2024 shows growing per capita expenditures, potentially reflective of broader global trends.
Modes of Transport
Air travel remains the dominant mode for international and overseas travel. In Canada, 82.7% of overseas arrivals by residents were via air transportation in mid-2025, with a decline in car travel for trips to the U.S. U.S. outbound travel similarly is heavily reliant on air travel, supported by innovations and consumer preferences highlighted in the tourism rebound studies.
Overnight Stays
Last year, resident travellers made 1.8 million overnight trips abroad, with the average duration of a trip with an overnight stay being 5.5 nights. The most popular travel destinations for overnight trips abroad were Estonia and Lithuania, accounting for 15.3% and 10.9% respectively.
Same-Day Trips
The total expenditure on same-day trips was 43.3 million euros, an increase of 22.8% compared to a year ago. Motor vehicles were used for 31.1% of all outbound tourism same-day trips, while buses or coaches were used for only 8.2%. Lithuania was the main destination for outbound tourism same-day trips, accounting for 73.1% of all such trips made in 2024. Estonia was the second most popular destination for outbound tourism same-day trips, accounting for 21.4% of all such trips made in 2024.
Total Expenditure and Nights Spent
The largest share of expenditure went on accommodation (37%). The total number of nights spent abroad reached 9.9 million, which was 10.7% more than in 2019 but 5.6% less than in 2023. The number of overnight trips abroad increased by 5.5% compared to 2023 and by 21.6% compared to 2019. No specific information about the total number of nights spent or the total number of trips with overnight stay in the context of same-day trips was provided.
In summary, the increase in resident travel abroad in 2024 is characterized by strong growth in outbound U.S. tourists primarily traveling by air, expanding destinations driven by evolving consumer interests, and likely increased expenditures fueled by rising incomes. Canadian residents showed a contrasting decline in trips abroad as of mid-2025, with significant decreases in auto trips to the U.S. and a smaller increase in overseas air travel.
