Hotel booking volume growth has stalled in many countries amid global trade uncertainty, according to a new report from Hotel Hub, a hotel booking technology provider for TMCs. Among the report’s findings:

• Total year-to-date (YTD) hotel booking volume is down 5.35% compared with the same period in 2024, with US bookings down more than 10% in 2025. In the second quarter of 2025 in the US, booking numbers dropped 13.24% compared with the same period in 2024. Also, lead times for hotel bookings in the US dropped by 6.77% in the second quarter, suggesting a growing reluctance to commit to US travel too far in advance.
• After seeing growth in the first quarter, YTD volumes versus the same period in 2024 remain relatively flat following a second quarter dip in many other major destinations, including France (down 1.53%), the UK (down 1.41%) and Australia (down 0.46%).
• Elsewhere, despite a strong start to 2025, it appears that this hesitancy to travel is trickling to other markets. For example, the UK, which had seen a 7.15% growth in bookings via HotelHub in the first quarter, closed the first six months of the year with total bookings down by 1.41% compared with 2024.
• The second quarter data also shows signs that hotel rates are continuing to settle after significant increases in 2024. The average rate booked per night between April and June 2025 was $192, up just 1.77% compared with the second quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, across the first six months of the year, average rates are up just 1% versus 2024 — a stark contrast to the 5.39% increase seen in the same period last year (compared with 2023) and a positive sign for corporate travel budgets.

It remains to be seen, said the report, whether the second quarter downturn is just a blip in the immediate aftermath of the US tariff announcements and if bookings will get back on track as trade deals are settled.

Paul Raymond, HotelHub’s chief commercial officer, said, “Given the global uncertainty surrounding the recent White House activity, it’s not particularly surprising to see a slight downturn in hotel bookings for business travel in the first half of the year.” However, he added, “While the decline in Q2 US bookings is evident, there is room for optimism in other markets.” As several countries have more recently signed trade deals with the US, said Raymond, “there appears to be a level of stability returning to businesses and we may even see a greater impetus for travel as companies look to realign strategies with the new policies in place.”

The report is based on an analysis of almost 4 million hotel bookings made via HotelHub technology in 2025.